By Alex Miller | 福克斯新闻
发布于 2026年3月19日 美国东部时间上午9:50
参议院一名民主党议员投出了决定性一票，将俄克拉荷马州共和党参议员马克韦恩·马利恩（Markwayne Mullin）推进至确认程序的下一轮，此前他经历了一场激烈的听证会。
这是因为参议院国土安全和政府事务委员会主席、肯塔基州共和党参议员兰德·保罗（Rand Paul）誓言不会支持马利恩，他声称马利恩”不适合”担任这一职务。
马利恩反驳称，如果他对某人有意见，会当面说出来。更重要的是，他希望向保罗和小组中的参议院民主党人证明，自己是该职位的合适人选。
‘有话当面说’：马利恩作为特朗普下一任国土安全部部长的激烈确认听证会亮点
俄克拉荷马州共和党参议员马克韦恩·马利恩在听证会上做手势。（Olivier Contreras/Getty Images）
“我会争取到这个职位，不会让你们失望，”马利恩说。”我不会回避挑战。我也会承认自己的错误。我并不完美，也不声称自己完美。我和其他人一样会犯错。但如果能正视错误，就能从中学习并继续前进。我向你们保证这一点。”
就像在参议院多次出现的情况一样，保罗和宾夕法尼亚州民主党参议员约翰·费特曼（John Fetterman）在投票立场上发生了转变。费特曼是小组中唯一支持马利恩的民主党人，如果没有他的投票，共和党推动确认程序快速通过的计划将受到沉重打击。
费特曼承认听证会之后自己可能成为关键的一票。
舒默利用马利恩提名要求国土安全部彻底改革，并表示问题远超诺姆（Noem）
宾夕法尼亚州民主党参议员约翰·费特曼在2026年1月7日华盛顿特区美国国会大厦投票后离开。（Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images）
“我来这里是带着开放的心态，我会继续保持这种心态，”费特曼说。”对我来说，这不会是为了找岔子。我和你的合作经历一直是一致且专业的。”
马利恩获得下一届国土安全部部长确认的程序现在将在未来几天提交参议院全体会议，只需简单多数票即可获得职位任命。
但几名参议院民主党人可能不会支持他，因为国土安全部关闭的持续斗争。在关闭斗争期间，民主党人要求对移民和海关执法局（ICE）和海关与边境保护局（CBP）进行严格改革。
“如果马利恩参议员的提名提交参议院，我不会支持，”纽约州民主党参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默（Chuck Schumer）说。”国土安全部存在的问题，特别是ICE和CBP的问题，远比谁来担任负责人要深得多。”
尽管如此，马利恩在听证会上经历了一场时而轻松、时而激烈的来回交锋，最终挺了过来。参议院多数党领袖、南达科他州共和党参议员约翰·图恩（John Thune）认为，一旦马利恩走出委员会程序，将在参议院获得广泛支持。
“显然，[周三]的听证会有时听起来有点激烈，”图恩说。”但归根结底，这关乎工作本身，关乎谁是合适的人选。我认为马克韦恩是合适的人选。”
马利恩在国土安全部领导权的首次障碍中面临民主党质询，正值关闭斗争之际
肯塔基州共和党参议员兰德·保罗（Rand Paul）和密歇根州民主党参议员加里·彼得斯（Gary Peters）在马利恩的确认听证会上对其进行质询，他正寻求成为下一任国土安全部部长。（Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images）
然而，[周四的投票]差点未能进行，因为保罗和小组中排名最高的民主党人、密歇根州参议员加里·彼得斯（Gary Peters）就马利恩多年前的一次旅行问题发生了争执。
两人希望会面并了解此次旅行情况，马利恩称这发生在他仍在众议院期间，但无法公开详细说明，需要在机密场合讨论。最终，保罗甚至没有参加这次机密会议。
保罗的发言人告诉福克斯新闻数字版，这位议员已经知道自己会如何投票，但希望安排这次机密会议以”确保其他人获得所需的信息”。
尽管保罗和马利恩之间的个人积怨十分激烈，但这不足以摧毁他成为下一任国土安全部部长的机会。
点击此处下载福克斯新闻应用程序
保罗表示，在确认投票前不会支持马利恩，部分原因是他不会为自己称2017年一名邻居对保罗的袭击”合理”而道歉。他认为，马利恩无法道歉，加上他之前在与卡车司机工会主席肖恩·奥布赖恩（Sean O’Brien）的听证会上的爆发，表明他缺乏领导国土安全部所需的心态。
“我认为我们正处于危机之中，需要高层更多的指导，”保罗说。”一个只会争吵的人，一个甚至不愿为希望对我使用暴力、并真正为发生在我身上的袭击欢呼的行为道歉的人——他做不到道歉。在我看来，我不知道他怎么能领导ICE或边境巡逻队。”
亚历克斯·米勒（Alex Miller）是福克斯新闻数字版报道美国参议院的记者。
https://a57.foxnews.com/cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/694940094001/78811ebd-aba2-4ec4-bb16-970018000944/a31cc59f-7c89-4263-9d7d-be77dc0b3129/1280×720/match/896/500/image.jpg?ve=1&tl=1
Mullin survives bruising hearing with Dem help, inches one step closer to becoming next DHS chief
By Alex Miller | Fox News
Published March 19, 2026 9:50am EDT
A Senate Democrat proved the decisive vote to advance Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to the next round of his confirmation journey after an explosive hearing.
That’s because Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, vowed not to support Mullin, whom he contended was “unfit” for the role.
Mullin countered that if he had a problem with somebody, he would say it to their face. More so, he hoped to prove to Paul and Senate Democrats on the panel that he was the right pick for the job.
‘TELL ME TO MY FACE’: TOP MOMENTS IN MULLIN’S HEATED CONFIRMATION HEARING TO BE TRUMP’S NEXT DHS CHIEF
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., gestures during a hearing.(Olivier Contreras/Getty Images)
“I’m going to earn the job, I won’t fail you,” Mullin said. “I won’t back down from a challenge. And I’ll also admit when I’m wrong. I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be perfect. I make mistakes just like anybody else. But mistakes, if you own them, you can learn from them and you can move ahead. And I’ll make that commitment to you.”
And, like several times on the Senate floor, Paul and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., switched positions on their votes. Fetterman was the only Democrat on the panel to back Mullin, and without his vote, Republicans’ plans to sprint through the confirmation process would have been dealt a stiff blow.
Fetterman acknowledged that he could be the difference-maker after the hearing.
SCHUMER WEAPONIZES MULLIN NOMINATION TO DEMAND DHS OVERHAUL, SAYS ‘ROT’ GOES BEYOND NOEM
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., departs following a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7, 2026.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I came here and committed to come here with an open mind, and I’m going to continue to do that,” Fetterman said. “It’s not going to be about gotcha moments for me. My experience with you has been consistent and professional.”
Mullin’s confirmation to become the next Department of Homeland Security secretary will now head to the Senate floor in the coming days and will require just a simple majority vote for him to be given the green light for the position.
But several Senate Democrats may not support him because of the ongoing fight over the DHS shutdown. Democrats have demanded stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) throughout the shutdown battle.
“I will not be supporting Sen. Mullin’s nomination should it come before the Senate,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “The problems at DHS, especially at ICE and CBP, run far deeper than just who is in charge.”
Still, Mullin survived a sometimes jovial, sometimes grueling back-and-forth during the hearing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., believed that once out of committee, Mullin would have broad support across the Senate.
“Obviously, [Wednesday’s] hearing sounds like it got a little spicy at times,” Thune said. “But at the end of the day, it comes back to the job, and it comes back to the right person for the job. And I think that Markwayne is the right person.”
MULLIN FACES DEMOCRAT GRILLING IN FIRST HURDLE TO LEAD DHS AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT
Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., grilled Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., during his confirmation hearing to become the next DHS chief.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
[Thursday’s vote] nearly didn’t happen, however, after Paul and Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the top-ranking Democrat on the panel, clashed over travel the lawmaker took years ago.
The duo wanted to meet and hear about the travel, which Mullin said happened while he was still in the House but couldn’t be detailed publicly, in a classified setting. Ultimately, Paul didn’t even go to the classified meeting.
A spokesperson for Paul told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker already knew how he was going to vote but wanted to facilitate the classified meeting to “make sure everyone else got the information they needed.”
And while the personal rancor between Paul and Mullin was explosive, it was not enough to sink his chances of becoming the next DHS chief.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Paul said he would not support Mullin ahead of the confirmation vote, in part because he wouldn’t apologize for saying that the assault on Paul by a neighbor in 2017 was “justified.” He argued that Mullin’s inability to apologize, along with his previous outburst during a hearing with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, showed he lacked the mindset needed to lead DHS.
“We’re in the midst, I think, of a crisis where there needs to be more direction from the top,” Paul said. “And a guy who brawls, a guy who can’t even say he’s sorry about wishing violence on me and really applauding the attack that happened on me — can’t come to say that. I don’t know how he could, from my point of view, be a [leader of ICE or Border Patrol.”
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://a57.foxnews.com/cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/694940094001/78811ebd-aba2-4ec4-bb16-970018000944/a31cc59f-7c89-4263-9d7d-be77dc0b3129/1280×720/match/896/500/image.jpg?ve=1&tl=1
发表回复