STATEMENT: On Senator Mullin’s Nomination to be DHS Secretary

Washington, DC - U.S.Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), the ranking member of the Senate Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries Subcommittee, today released a statement after voting against the confirmation of U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to be Secretary of Homeland Security.

"Tonight, I voted against confirming Senator Mullin as President Trump's next Secretary of Homeland Security.

"In addition to immigration enforcement, DHS includes everything from the Coast Guard, to TSA, to FEMA - this is not a position that allows for on-the-job training. That is only amplified by the fact that the department is currently enduring an extended Republican shutdown.

"I still have not seen anything that makes me confident that Senator Mullin would take this critical department to the next level, or that he would instill the confidence the American people want to see. As a matter of fact, given how loyal Senator Mullin has been to President Trump, I think we can expect to see more of the same dysfunction at DHS under his leadership. This was a missed opportunity for a new direction."

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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.