Mullin Expected to be Confirmed as DHS Secretary Despite Disregard for Democracy, Elections and Climate Change

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Senate is expected to confirm Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) today to be the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mullin's temperament, background and lack of experience make him unqualified for the job of leading an agency that oversees both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and federal law enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In his Senate confirmation hearing, Mullin failed to assuage those concerns, providing evasive and insufficient answers to questions. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) vehemently opposes Mullin's confirmation and will be monitoring his actions closely and helping to hold him to account.

UCS has spoken out against DHS policies and actions, including the detainment, abuse, and killing of U.S. citizens and immigrants under the watch of DHS officials. Extreme weather and climate change-related disasters are also hitting communities across the nation more intensely and frequently, yet last year the Trump administration dangerously chose to gut FEMA-the essential agency that supports local and state governments in preparing before and building back stronger after disasters strike. Both outcomes are the result of an administration that eschews evidence-based decision-making, putting people's lives and safety at risk.

Below is a statement by Dr. Jennifer Jones, the director of the Center for Science and Democracy at UCS.

"Mullin has shown ongoing disregard for our democracy and election systems. He has refused to acknowledge Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and call January 6 what it was: an insurrection. While U.S. elections are administered at the local level, DHS is entrusted to safeguard democracy through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Elections administrators are concerned that CISA isn't prepared for the midterms, and Mullin has refused to commit to restoring staffing after the Trump administration gutted the agency. Not only can election administrators not count on DHS for support, but now they also must be concerned about ICE agents being stationed at polling places in an attempt to intimidate voters. Furthermore, Mullin has been a key supporter of legislation that would disenfranchise millions of voters, particularly Black, Brown, and Indigenous voters, by requiring onerous proof of citizenship documents. Mullin has failed to instill confidence that he will work to protect voters, elections and our democracy as we head into the 2026 midterms."

Below is a statement by Shana Udvardy, a senior climate resilience policy analyst at UCS.

"Mullin is on the record as a climate change denier, even as climate change is accelerating and costs of disasters are mounting in the United States. As the head of DHS, it's critical for Mullin to understand the unequivocal scientific evidence, as well as the broad implications of climate change and how it's already profoundly impacting people's lives and the economy.

"While there's a lot that Mullin must do to rebuild the public's trust in DHS and FEMA, one of his core priorities must be to restore FEMA. This means nominating a FEMA administrator who has the requisite emergency management experience as required by law, revoking the harmful $100K expenditure review requirement, ensuring adequate staffing levels at the agency, fully cooperating with the Inspector General's office by making all documents and personnel available to congressional and other investigations, and adhering to the letter of the law to protect whistleblowers."

Please contact UCS Media Director Ashley Siefert Nunes to speak with Dr. Jones, Udvardy or another UCS expert.

Additional UCS Resources:

• Blog post about the SAVE Act by UCS Research Officer Dr. Liza Gordon-Rogers, "Voter Access Would Be Threatened by New Bills."
• Blog post by Udvardy, "If Confirmed, Will Senator Markwayne Mullin Be DHS's Next Disaster?"
• Blog post by Dr. Jones, "Scientists Must Act: Five Ways You Can Stand Up to Authoritarianism Today."