Ranking Member Peters' Opener - March 18, 2026 - Sen. Markwayne Mullin DHS Sec. Nomination Hearing

Thank you, Chairman Paul. Thank you, Senator Mullen, for being here today, and congratulations on your nomination. I certainly appreciate your willingness to meet with me, as well as my staff, as we consider your nomination to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. I'd also like to welcome your family, who is joining us today, and thank all of them for their commitment to public service. We do it as a family, as you know. The Department of Homeland Security is a complicated organization with challenging operational dynamics. As everyone is well aware, many components within DHS are currently operating without funding. But let's be clear, Democrats are committed to funding TSA, FEMA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Coast Guard while we negotiate much-needed ICE reforms. We tried to pass those bills by unanimous consent multiple times over the past two weeks. Unfortunately, Republicans have blocked those bills each and every time. Yesterday, the White House sent a letter laying out their latest offer, but the devil is always in the details. Administrative action is not enough. We need to pass real reforms into law. If Republicans really do agree with us that TSA and other personnel need to be paid, then they should join us and pass the bills to pay them today. We can do that while we continue to negotiate needed ICE reforms. But let me be clear, these are very straightforward reforms that we're asking for. We just want ICE to follow the same rules that our local police and our local communities follow every day. But DHS has faced management challenges since the start of the Trump administration, and over the past year, many of those challenges have unfortunately only increased. As soon as President Trump was sworn in, he made deep cuts to counterterrorism offices and programs, forced out or reassigned key personnel, and redirected the focus of limited remaining counterterrorism resources away from the serious threats that we face and towards targeting the president's perceived political enemies. The administration has also gutted our nation's main cybersecurity agency, once again forcing out or reassigning highly talented personnel, slashing budgets and limiting the agency's work to help private companies address significant cyber attacks and protect Americans from criminal hackers that can support secure elections. The administration has also taken an axe to FEMA, cutting staff and freezing or delaying critical grant funding for everything from emergency food and shelter after a disaster to flood mitigation programs and security grants to nonprofits, including houses of worship. All these cuts and reassignments have been made at the expense of vital missions, including the core terrorism prevention and response mission the department was created to address. In doing so, the Trump administration has broken trust between law enforcement and the communities they are intended to protect, a break that will have a generational impact on public safety and security. And now, after President Trump's reckless war of choice against Iran, the threats to our nation have never been higher. In my home state of Michigan, just last week, we saw both a major medical device manufacturer get hacked by an Iranian-backed group and a horrific violent attack on Temple Israel, a metro Detroit area synagogue. President Trump's unilateral and unchecked executive actions have put Americans at risk. We need a steady, qualified leader at the Department of Homeland Security to address these serious threats. How the Homeland Security Secretary responds to a crisis sends signals to everyone, from the department's own personnel to the American people and to the entire world. It's not the role of the secretary to be a cable news commentator in the wake of a crisis. The secretary's role is to lead, lead the response and work to ensure the department that they are leading isn't actually the cause of the crisis. A secretary who jumps to conclusions without facts, as we saw in the case of Rene Good and Alex Pretty's killings, only worsens the situation and actually makes us less safe. This is a role where temperament matters, where judgment matters, and where experience matters. We have seen under Secretary Nome's leadership how shortcomings in these traits can compound the challenges that already come with leading a large and complex department. And now, more than ever, we need a DHS secretary who is a steady hand, who will provide thoughtful leadership, follow the facts, tell the truth, and hold agency officials accountable when they need to be held accountable. We need a DHS secretary who is committed to the rule of law and who will protect and cooperate with independent oversight, whether that's from the inspector general or from members of Congress. And we need a DHS secretary who is free from distractions and conflicts of interest that only undercut the department's work and also break trust with the American people. Senator Mullen, I appreciate you being here today to answer our questions about these concerns and your experience and qualifications for the job. And while I'm interested in hearing more about your vision for leading the department, I do have reservations about your readiness to take on such a significant role at such a critical time. I hope you will provide us with substantive answers today and a candid recognition of where this administration has fallen short on safeguarding our homeland security as you seek to lead the department as our nation faces ongoing security threats and war with Iran.