A Senate committee advanced the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin to be Homeland Security secretary Thursday, setting up a potential confirmation vote on the floor as early as next week.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-7 to report the nomination to the floor, the day after a contentious confirmation hearing that included criticism from the panel’s chairman, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
Paul bucked the party line to vote against Mullin’s nomination, but Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., crossed party lines to support Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security.