Markwayne Mullins rockier-than-expected road – Mar 19 2026

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Mar 19, 2026
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IN TODAY’S EDITION:
— What will Fetterman do?
— Jockeying begins for open leadership post
— First in IC: Sanders to force Israel disapproval votes

The Senate Homeland Security Committtee will vote today on advancing Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to be DHS secretary. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

It’s Markwayne Mullin’s day of reckoning after a fiery Senate hearing Wednesday.

The Oklahoma Republican will likely secure the votes he needs at the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee today, though it’s not a sure thing. If things go as expected, he could be confirmed as DHS secretary early next week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Jordain Carney.

But Wednesday’s drama at HSGAC — the only obvious chokepoint for his nomination — heralds some real issues going forward given the fierce opposition Mullin encountered from Chair Rand Paul and tough questioning from Democrats.

— ONE ANGRY CHAIR: Paul told reporters Mullin’s anger issues and his expression of sympathy for the man who attacked and severely injured Paul in 2017 means “he’s unfit to be leading a large law enforcement agency.”

But Paul made clear his personal opposition would not preclude showing “courtesy to the White House,” and he vowed to move forward with today’s 9:30 a.m. vote.

The chair predicted Mullin would still advance with the help of at least one Democrat. Sen. John Fetterman appears open to supporting Mullin, though he would not commit publicly to backing him Wednesday, saying only his “mind is still open.”

Even if Mullin stalls in the panel vote, Paul suggested the White House could ask for a “negative recommendation,” allowing a floor vote to proceed. “I mean, there are things I would consider,” he said.

But he also made clear he will be watching Mullin closely as he takes the reins at DHS — especially immigration enforcement agencies that have been plagued by use-of-force controversies.

“We’re going to go fast with the nomination hearing. We’re going to go fast with the vote. But I can’t vote for a guy who’s got anger” issues, Paul said.

— MANY SKEPTICAL DEMOCRATS: Mullin presented himself during Wednesday’s hearing as a different type of leader than ousted Secretary Kristi Noem. Democrats weren’t receptive.

“My goal at six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” Mullin said. “My goal is for people to understand we’re out there. We’re protecting them.”

Mullin indicated he’d reverse a controversial administration decision allowing ICE agents to enter homes with only an administrative warrant, not a signoff from a judge. Ending that practice is a huge sticking point for Democrats in DHS funding talks.

But several HSGAC Democrats like Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Ruben Gallego said after the hearing that Mullin’s comments aren’t a ray of hope for breaking the shutdown impasse. At least not yet.

“Openness [to judicial warrants] doesn’t mean anything to me until I see it in actual legislation,” Gallego told Calen.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING. PSA: The Senate refectory was out of Celsius yesterday.

Email us: crazor@politico.com and mmccarthy@politico.com. Follow our live coverage at politico.com/congress.

COMING SOON TO INSIDE CONGRESS — We’re thrilled to announce a trio of new additions to POLITICO who will soon be putting their mark on our Capitol Hill and economic policy coverage.

Riley Rogerson is joining our Congress team as a House leadership reporter focused on Democrats — a critical storyline as they fight to retake the chamber. Riley was previously at NOTUS, where she impressed us and kept us on our toes with her record of scoops and enterprise stories.

Michaela Ross is coming aboard as a Congress editor focused on this newsletter, which has seen a major increase in Capitol Hill readership since we revamped it last year. Michaela was most recently at Bloomberg Industry Group, where she was deputy team lead of its newsletter and congressional policy reporting teams.

Benjamin Freed is POLITICO’s new tax editor. Benjamin was most recently the editor for state tax news and financial accounting at Bloomberg Tax, and was previously with StateScoop, Washingtonian, DCist and Washington City Paper. Benjamin joins as we continue to beef up coverage of economic policy on Capitol Hill, including the tax-writing Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
With help from Jordan Williams

The House will vote on a bill that would make it a deportable offense for noncitizens convicted of hurting animals used in law enforcement at 10 a.m.

The Senate will convene at noon and continue consideration of the SAVE America Act.

— House Intel will have a hearing on worldwide threats to American security, with testimony from DNI Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other officials at 8:30 a.m.

— Senate Homeland will vote on Mullin’s nomination to be DHS secretary at 9:30 a.m.

— House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will have a news conference at 10:45 a.m.

POLITICO’S ECONOMY SUMMIT — Join us March 25 for POLITICO’s Economy Summit, which will feature interviews with Sen. Mark Warner and Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs Tom Suozzi and Brian Fitzpatrick. Register now to attend in person or watch online.

Pro subscribers receive this newsletter with a full congressional schedule and can browse our comprehensive calendar of markups, hearings and other notable events around Washington. Sign up for a demo.

THE LEADERSHIP SUITE

Speaker Mike Johnson is considering the best way to pass a clean FISA extension. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Johnson weighs his FISA options

Speaker Mike Johnson is debating whether to pass a key spy authority next week through a party-line rule vote or a fast-track method that would require significant support from Democrats.

It’s a gamble either way, Meredith Lee Hill reports with Mia. GOP hard-liners are threatening to vote against a rule over concerns the Section 702 program allows the government to spy on Americans without a warrant. The issue is also tied up in a wider fight over the SAVE America Act.

“There is no way a clean extension is getting through,” said one House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly. “A rule for that will not pass next week.”

Johnson’s other option, putting the bill up under suspension of the rules, requires a two-thirds majority. While at least a handful Democrats have signaled their support, including Intel ranking member Jim Himes, Republicans are skeptical there are enough willing to hand the Trump administration unfettered spy powers.

“That’s something we’ve been talking about,” Johnson told Meredith when asked about the suspension option. “I think I can pass the rule.”

Republicans eye Hern’s leadership post

The race is on to replace Rep. Kevin Hern as GOP policy committee chair.

Reps. Claudia Tenney and Jay Obernolte are in the running for the No. 6 House Republican leadership slot after Hern launched his Senate campaign last week. The leadership vacancy was made official on Tuesday, Obernolte said in an interview.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” he told Mia.

Several Republicans predicted to Meredith that Obernolte would likely win since he entered the race earlier and locked up endorsements from key senior Republicans. But they cautioned it could be a closer race because some are eager for more women in GOP leadership.

A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:

A simple blood test can detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear, enabling significantly more effective treatment. The bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act ensures people benefit from this scientific milestone. Congress has acted to allow Medicare coverage for mammograms and other pivotal screening tests. Now Congress has the same generational opportunity to redefine Alzheimer’s care: Unlock early detection to enable early treatment. Congress must pass the ASAP Act.

POLICY RUNDOWN

FIRST IN INSIDE CONGRESS: SANDERS TO FORCE ISRAEL DISAPPROVAL VOTES — Sen. Bernie Sanders is introducing joint resolutions of disapproval today over several U.S. arms sales to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, his office tells Inside Congress.

The resolutions take aim at a combined $658 million worth of munitions sales. Joining Sanders as cosponsors are Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch.

“Given the horrific destruction that Israel’s extremist government has wrought on Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, the last thing in the world that American taxpayers need to do right now is to provide 22,000 new bombs to the Netanyahu government,” Sanders said in a statement. “No more weapons to support an illegal war.”

Once introduced, Senate Foreign Relations has five calendar days to consider the resolutions in committee. After that, the cosponsors can force a simple-majority floor vote to discharge the resolutions from committee.

The vote could be an uncomfortable one for some Democrats, who would be forced to go on the record just as support for Israel emerges as a critical fault line this year’s Democratic primary races.

ANOTHER KEY EPSTEIN DEPOSITION DAY — Darren Indyke, a lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein and a co-executor of his estate, will testify before House Oversight today in a highly anticipated closed-door deposition, Hailey Fuchs writes in.

Eager for answers about Epstein’s crimes, lawmakers are amid a series of closed-door sessions with people who are seen as close to the late convicted sex offender, including his accountant Richard Kahn and client Les Wexner. A lawyer for Indyke said his client would not invoke the Fifth Amendment during the proceedings but could claim attorney-client privilege depending on what questions lawmakers ask.

Committee chair James Comer said his team is prepared “to dispute certain parts” of any privilege claim. “We’ve been preparing for it for about a week,” he told reporters.

Indyke’s testimony, which will almost certainly span hours, comes one day after lawmakers convened to question Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche about the Epstein case and their handling of the release of the so-called Epstein files. Democrats ultimately walked out about an hour into the meeting, saying Bondi was unwilling to commit to an Oversight panel subpoena compelling her testimony.

SENATE BANKING HUDDLES ON CRYPTO — Senate Banking Republicans are expected to meet today to discuss cryptocurrency market structure legislation pending in the Senate, two people granted anonymity to discuss the private meeting told Jasper Goodman.

It comes after Sen. Thom Tillis told Jasper Wednesday that lawmakers are “very close” to an agreement to resolve a lobbying spat between banks and digital asset firms that could clear a path forward for landmark cryptocurrency legislation to advance in the Senate.

Tillis predicted a deal could land by next week over whether digital asset exchanges should be allowed to offer rewards programs that pay an annual percentage yield to stablecoin holders. But an agreement would set off a mad dash to get Democrats on board before a markup.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, chair of the Senate Banking subcommittee on cryptocurrency, said Wednesday she expects that markup in April after lawmakers return from their two-week recess.

Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E:

Pro Transportation: House panel approves trucking license crackdown bill
E&E: Whitehouse waves off Trump attacks on offshore wind
E&E: Schumer promises energy affordability agenda

THE BEST OF THE REST

Tim Scott says he will run for reelection in 2028, breaking promise that ’22 would be his last run, from Caitlin Byrd at the South Carolina Post and Courier

‘This is my pacifier ’: Why DHS nominee Mullin takes a bouncy ball everywhere, from Zachary Schermele at USA Today

Can Cory Booker, once the candidate of love, run for president and stay true to who he is?, from Russell Berman at The Atlantic

A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:

TUNNEL TALK

CHILLING EFFECT — Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on House Appropriations, thanked Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin Wednesday for cranking the heat in the House chamber, Katherine Tully-McManus writes in. “I am so happy to always see your team across the Capitol, especially grateful for your HVAC team’s help with raising the temperature on the House floor. I want to thank you for that,” she told Austin at a hearing where he was testifying on his agency’s fiscal 2027 budget request. “One dresses very warmly to go to the House floor.”

RAYBURN RENOVATIONS AHEAD — At the same hearing, Katherine reports, Austin defended his multibillion-dollar plan for a full renovation of the Rayburn House Office Building that’s expected to displace 184 member offices — potentially for years. Major disruptions might still be years away, and his fiscal 2027 budget request would fund only the initial planning stages, but Austin warned of a possible “catastrophic system failure” if Rayburn is allowed to remain as-is much longer.

Austin is asking Congress for $205 million to redo the aging building’s parking garage, $25 million for renovation designs and $22 million for securing temporary work spaces for lawmakers relocated during construction.

JOB BOARD

William O’Grady is now comms director for Sen. Ashley Moody. He previously worked for Sen. Jim Justice.

Matt Krack is now comms director for Rep. Debbie Dingell. He previously worked for Sen. Raphael Warnock.

Who’s hiring?

Sen. John Hickenlooper is seeking a constituent advocate in Colorado.

The Senate Sergeant at Arms is seeking a program manager for its police operations team.

Sen. Eric Schmitt is seeking a senior policy and communications adviser.

A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:

The ASAP Act is a “mammogram moment” for Alzheimer’s — an opportunity to make early detection the standard of care. When Congress enabled Medicare coverage for routine mammograms, screening rates soared and breast cancer deaths dropped significantly. That early investment led to earlier detection, better outcomes and improved quality of life.

Congress can deliver this same breakthrough for those with Alzheimer’s through the bipartisan ASAP Act, which would allow Medicare to cover a simple blood test to detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear. Until Congress acts, Medicare cannot cover screening tests for Alzheimer’s. But fewer than 10% of people receive a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment when today’s FDA-approved treatments are significantly more effective. Expanding access to blood-based screening will help more patients receive an early diagnosis, and the opportunity for earlier, more effective treatment. Congress must support the ASAP Act and appropriate Alzheimer’s care.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Former Rep. Mike Coffman … Axios’ Kayla Cook … Anatole Jenkins … ABC’s Pierre Thomas, Katie Bosland Kastens and Van Scott … Mary Streett … John Gossel … NBC’s Emma Gottlieb … Yujin Lee … T. Christian Miller … Jake Westlin … Leah Schaefer … Jill Abramson … Trey Hardin … Zach Parkinson … Betsy Barrows