Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged his Democratic colleagues to “give someone a chance” and consider supporting Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to be Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary.
Fetterman reiterated Thursday that he will vote to confirm Mullin, who will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
“Of course I’m going to vote for him, but I’m not sure how many Democrats are going to vote for him,” he told hosts John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on WABC 770 AM. “I don’t know why. You know, I believe he and I have a lot in common – hey, let’s secure our border. Absolutely. As long as we focus on rounding up and deporting criminals, we never, ever want that kind of tragedy to happen in Minneapolis.”
“Then why don’t you give others a chance?” Fetterman asked.
“It comes back to another fact: No matter what Republicans say, we have to oppose it and vote against it,” he continued.
President Trump’s decision to fire Kristi Noem was cheered by Democrats who were angry about her handling of immigration enforcement and oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
However, many stopped short of pledging support for Trump’s new pick, saying their dissatisfaction with the way the Department of Homeland Security is run extends beyond one person.
“Staff changes are not enough. We need policy changes,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told reporters at the Capitol after news of Noem’s ouster broke.
Still, lawmakers said they expected Mullin to be confirmed, with Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) describing the senator earlier this month as “competent” and “honest.”
The March 18 confirmation hearing comes against the backdrop of a month-long shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security that does not appear to be close to ending as funding negotiations remain deadlocked.
On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a bill to reopen the agency for the fourth time, with Fetterman once again becoming the only Democrat to vote with Republicans in support of the bill.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, head to The Hill.