The Democratic Party maverick strikes again.
Sen. John Fetterman handed President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security nominee a crucial lifeline Thursday, breaking with fellow Democrats to help push Sen. Markwayne Mullin out of committee and one step closer to the Cabinet.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced Mullin’s nomination in an 8-7 vote, with Fetterman joining Republicans after Chairman Rand Paul voted no.
During the hearing, Fetterman told Mullin, “My experience with you has always been consistent kindness and professionalism.”
Watch the clip below:
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) on his nomination to DHS Secretary: “My experience with you has been consistent kindness and professionalism.”pic.twitter.com/C1JNBurdvR
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 18, 2026
The vote was a political eyebrow-raiser on two fronts. Fetterman crossed party lines to back the Oklahoma Republican, while Paul, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the panel, opposed him over past conduct and rhetoric.
With every other member voting along party lines, Fetterman’s defection proved decisive.
That razor-thin margin now tees Mullin up for a full Senate vote as soon as next week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday he hoped to bring the nomination up “early next week,” putting Trump’s pick on a glide path toward confirmation if Republicans stay united on the floor.
Democrats made clear they see Mullin as unfit for the job. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the committee’s top Democrat, said he opposed the nomination because Mullin “has failed to be forthright and transparent” and lacks “the experience or the temperament” to run the sprawling domestic security agency.
More over at Fox News:
COMMITTEE APPROVES: Sen. Markwayne Mullin advances to Senate floor for DHS secretary vote after heated hearing, with Sen. John Fetterman's decisive Democratic support overcoming Chair Rand Paul's opposition. https://t.co/5vygKWGH0P
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) March 19, 2026