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Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who is poised to lead the Department of Homeland Security, will face tough questions from Congress during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Mullin, an Oklahoma senator, is set to inherit an already embattled department following the ouster of secretary Kristi Noem amid mounting criticism of her leadership of the agency.
RELATED: DHS pick Markwayne Mullin will appear before senators for his confirmation hearing
What’s more, a funding battle in Congress is creating further bottlenecks for federal disaster assistance, increased frustration for travelers at the airport and scrutinized protocol for immigration enforcement. All these things, as well as Mullin’s combative personality, will make for a huge undertaking for the senator.
FILE-Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) speaks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The hearing will be the first opportunity for lawmakers and the public to hear directly from Mullin about how he intends to run the third-largest department in the Cabinet.
The agency, which has a workforce of about 260,000 employees, oversees a diverse mission set of responsibilities ranging from protecting the president to helping states recover from disasters to deporting people in the country illegally.
The other side:
After 13 years in Congress, fellow lawmakers hope Mullin can improve relationships on both sides of the aisle.
What they're saying:
"This is what the Democrats have been clamoring for. They wanted a new change and shake-up in the leadership, and it’s now happening," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. said.
What to know about Sen. Marwayne Mullin
The backstory:
Mullin is a rancher and business owner. He is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and is a former MMA fighter, according to his official website.
He spent 10 years in the House of Representatives before he became a senator in 2023.
During his time in Congress, he served on the Senate Armed Services, Appropriations, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Indian Affairs Committees.
Past controversies
Dig deeper:
Mullin has made a reputation for himself as being a combative voice in the Senate over the years.
In 2023, Mullin had an angry confrontation with the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The conversation got so heated, Mullin challenged the Teamsters president to a fight.
Mullin was also the center of an ethics investigation in 2013 over his continued involvement in his family business while at the same time serving in the House.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from San Jose.