{"id":21817,"date":"2026-03-11T12:01:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=21817"},"modified":"2026-03-11T12:01:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:01:48","slug":"will-markwayne-mullin-end-the-dhs-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=21817","title":{"rendered":"Will Markwayne Mullin End the DHS Shutdown?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The future of the immigration issue could now rest on one man\u2019s shoulders\u2014<\/strong>Sen. Markwayne Mullin.\n<\/p>\n

After President Donald Trump picked the Oklahoma Republican to\u00a0replace Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary,\u00a0senators are speculating on whether the move will create momentum for reopening the department.<\/p>\n

Join others crying out to the Lord day and night.<\/h4>\n

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For over 24 days, Senate Democrats have almost unanimously refused to advance Republican-backed measures to fund the\u00a0Department of Homeland Security.\n<\/p>\n

They have demanded restraints on immigration law enforcement, such as restrictions on the use of face masks and administrative warrants, as well as requirements for body cameras.\n<\/p>\n

This holdout has resulted in a complete lapse in appropriations for an agency that deals with the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, cybersecurity, and several other responsibilities beyond immigration.\n<\/p>\n

BREAKING: Sen. Markwayne Mullin\u2019s (R-OK) first reaction to being tapped as DHS Secretary by President Trump. pic.twitter.com\/QEZIzRE0pb<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader John Thune,\u00a0R-S.D., has argued Democrats ought to reconsider their refusal to fund the agency now that Trump has selected new leadership.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis, to me, is a huge development, I would think, in the funding conversation, and hopefully they\u2019ll get more earnest about coming to the table and trying to get a deal,\u201d said Thune after news broke.\n<\/p>\n

Sen. Richard Blumenthal,\u00a0D-Conn., told reporters Monday that Mullin\u2019s \u201cstrong guarantee of Republican backing\u201d will likely make the confirmation process easy, but added that Mullin will \u201cbe grilled very thoroughly\u201d by Democrats \u201cabout what reforms he will support\u201d for the agency.\n<\/p>\n

Asked by The Daily Signal if conversations with Mullin amid the confirmation process could create progress in reopening the department, Blumenthal replied, \u201cAnything\u2019s possible. Sen. Mullin knows how this place works and how\u00a0the give-and-take\u00a0is essential to getting things done. Nobody gets everything they want, and some compromise is necessary.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cThose kinds of reforms that are standard operating procedure for your police force in your town, I think Secretary Mullin would be open to them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The process will place Mullin in an unusual position, as he navigates the dynamics of bipartisan negotiations in the Senate, as well as negotiations between the executive branch and Congress.\n<\/p>\n

Mullin served in the House for a decade and has been a senator since 2023.\n<\/p>\n

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, chaired by\u00a0Sen. Rand Paul,\u00a0R-Ky, will consider his confirmation.\n<\/p>\n

Mullin, who tends to align himself closely with party leadership\u2019s positions,\u00a0has spoken harshly of Paul in the past.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re shooting for a week from Wednesday,\u201d Paul told reporters on Monday when asked when the confirmation hearing would be.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to reserve judgment now and we\u2019ll probably find out a lot more,\u201d Paul told a reporter who asked for his thoughts on Mullin\u2019s nomination.\n<\/p>\n

Sen. Paul says he\u2019s aiming to hold Sen. Mullin\u2019s DHS confirmation hearing a week from Wednesday pic.twitter.com\/SXAHyGfRge<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\u2014 Grace Kazarian (@grace_kazarian) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Paul might be tough on Mullin during the confirmation process.\n<\/p>\n

After the death of\u00a0Alex Pretti\u00a0in a shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Paul called on DHS to \u201cpledge to reform,\u201d\u00a0subjecting top immigration officials to tough questioning by his committee.\n<\/p>\n

Paul, a fiscal hawk, has also been critical of the Trump administration\u2019s budget requests for border wall construction and law enforcement.\n<\/p>\n

Mullin\u2019s chances of confirmation look promising, especially since\u00a0Sen. Thom Tillis,\u00a0R-N.C., perhaps the harshest Republican critic of Noem, has called Mullin \u201ca great guy and a great choice to lead DHS.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Noem will leave her position on March 31.\n<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Mullin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\n<\/p>\n

Share your prayers for Secretary Mullin and the Department of Homeland Security below.<\/h4>\n

This article was originally published at The Daily Signal. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America \u2013 Markwayne Mullin, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=157294426.<\/em>
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