(The Center Square) – On Monday evening, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin received confirmation to lead the Department of Homeland Security from his fellow lawmakers on the chamber floor.
And Pennsylvania played a key role in securing the position for the freshman Republican senator of Oklahoma, whose nomination stirred controversy on both sides of the aisle.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?my@9? u6EE6C>2? 2?5 s2G6 |4r@C>:4<[ E96 4@>>@?H62=E9’D C6DA64E:G6 s6>@4C2E 2?5 #6AF3=:42? D6?2E@CD[ H6C6 2>@?8 dc @E96CD E@ 4@?7:C> |F==:?] pD:56 7C@> u6EE6C>2?[ &]$] $6?] |2CE:? w6:?C:49 @7 }6H |6I:4@ H2D E96 @?=J s6>@4C2E E@ DFAA@CE E96 ?@>:?2E:@?[ H9:=6 #6AF3=:42? &]$] $6?] #2?5 !2F= @7 z6?EF4<J ;@:?65 E96 @E96C cc :? @AA@D:E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m}6:E96C |4r@C>:4< ?@C u6EE6C>2? C6=62D65 2?J DE2E6>6?ED :>>65:2E6=J 7@==@H:?8 E96 4@?7:C>2E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|F==:? E2<6D @G6C E96 C@=6 AC6G:@FD=J 96=5 3J sw$ $64C6E2CJ zC:DE: }@6>[ H9@ H2Dk^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?34?6HD]4@>^A@=:E:4D^ECF>A\25>:?:DEC2E:@?^ECF>A\D2JD\<C:DE:\?@6>\DE6AA:?8\9@>6=2?5\D64FC:EJ\D64C6E2CJ\C4?2acgf`hQm7:C65 @? |2C49 dk^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?m3J !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A] }@6>[ H9@ 3642>6 E96 7:CDE r23:?6E =6256C E@k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?AC]@C8^a_ae^_b^_d^?I\D`\deefdce^<C:DE:\?@6>\9@>6=2?5\D64FC:EJ\7:C65Qm=62G6 E96:C A@D:E:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?m5FC:?8 %CF>A’D 4FCC6?E E6C>[ 72465 :?4C62D65 4C:E:4:D> 7C@> =2H>2<6CD @G6C 96C =6256CD9:A @7 E96 56A2CE>6?E 7@==@H:?8 E96 D9@@E:?8 562E9D @7 p=6I !C6EE: 2?5 #6?66 v@@5 3J q@C56C !2EC@= 286?ED :? |:??62A@=:D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mu6EE6C>2? 2?5 |4r@C>:4<k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E969:==]4@>^9@>6?6HD^D6?2E6^d`_eh_b\56>@4C2E:4\D6?2E@CD\<C:DE:\?@6>\9@>6=2?5\D64FC:EJ^Qm3@E9 DFAA@CE65 }@6>’D 4@?7:C>2E:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?mE@ =625 sw$ :? y2?F2CJ a_ad] w@H6G6C[k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^$6?u6EE6C>2?!p^DE2EFD^a_`e`bc_hbadea__behQmu6EE6C>2? 42==65 @? %CF>Ak^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?mE@ 7:C6 }@6> :? =2E6 y2?F2CJ 7@==@H:?8 E96 D9@@E:?8 562E9D @7 !C6EE: 2?5 v@@5]k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^A6??42A:E2=\DE2C]4@>^8@G6C?>6?E\A@=:E:4D^D6?\>44@C>:4<\E2=<D\:>>:8C2E:@?\6?7@C46>6?E\D9@@E:?8\562E9\:46\7F?5:?8\5FC:?8\E6=6A9@?6\E@H?\92==^Qm|4r@C>:4< 5:5 ?@E 42== 7@C }@6> E@ DE6A 5@H?k^2m k^DEC@?8mkDA2?m7C@> 96C C@=6[ 2=E9@F89 2E =62DE k^DA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^C2496=GD4@EE^DE2EFD^a_`ecgfb_`hca_aabc_QmEH@ #6AF3=:42? $6?2E@CDk^2m k^DEC@?8mkDA2?m5:5] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m~? E96 D2>6 52J %CF>A 7:C65 }@6>[k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^$6?u6EE6C>2?!p^DE2EFD^a_ahebadffdc_`__dcanDla_Qmu6EE6C>2?k^2m k^DEC@?8mkDA2?m2?5k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^$6?|4r@C>:4<!p^DE2EFD^a_aheegaae`habdhdefnDla_Qm|4r@C>:4<k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?m:DDF65 E96:C DFAA@CE 7@C |F==:? E@ 9625 sw$]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp=E9@F89 |F==:? H2D 4@?7:C>65 @? |@?52J 6G6?:?8[ 96 5:5?’E 4CF:D6 E9C@F89 E96 AC@46DD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m~? |2C49 `h[ E96 &]$] $6?2E6 r@>>:EE66 @? w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ 2?5 v@G6C?>6?E2= p772:CD G@E65 g\f E@ 25G2?46 |F==:?’D ?@>:?2E:@?]k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^A6??DJ=G2?:2^2CE:4=60ed_6`4e7\ha54\cb3g\3f55\ff3`d5eb5c56]9E>=Qmu6EE6C>2?[ 36:?8 E96 @?=J s6>@4C2E E@ DFAA@CEk^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?m9:D ?@>:?2E:@? E9C@F89 E96 4@>>:EE66[ H2D G:6H65 2D E96 564:5:?8 G@E6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%9C@F89@FE E96 AC@46DD[ s6>@4C2ED[ :?4=F5:?8 !6??DJ=G2?:2 &]$] #6AD]k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^C6A3C6?52?3@J=6^DE2EFD^a_bceafegaecefeddggQmkDA2?mqC6?52? kDEC@?8mq@J=6k^DEC@?8mk^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m2?5k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^9@F=292?7@CA2^DE2EFD^a_bcb_g_`c_hcdfbdheQmr9C:DDJ w@F=292?k^2m k^DEC@?8mkDA2?mFC865 u6EE6C>2? E@ G@E6 282:?DE |F==:?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|F==:?’D E6?FC6 2D sw$ D64C6E2CJ 368:?D 2>:5 2? @?8@:?8k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^a_ae^_a^`a^A@=:E:4D^56A2CE>6?E\9@>6=2?5\D64FC:EJ\8@G6C?>6?E\D9FE5@H?QmA2CE:2= 8@G6C?>6?E D9FE5@H? E92E 3682?k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?m@? u63] `c] s6>@4C2ED 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D :? r@?8C6DD C6>2:? 2E @55D @G6C 2 7F?5:?8 A=2? 7@C E96 286?4J] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m&]$] #6A] qC:2? u:EKA2EC:4<[ #\!2][ D2:5 =2DE H66< E92Ek^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H2D9:?8E@?6I2>:?6C]4@>^?6HD^9@FD6^cchfdce^46?EC:DE\9@FD6\5F@\A=2?D\3:==\6?5\59D\D9FE5@H?\C67@C>\:46^Qm96 H2D A=2??:?8 E@ :?EC@5F46 2 3:A2CE:D2? 4@>AC@>:D6k^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?mAC@A@D2= E@ 6?5 E96 sw$ A2CE:2= D9FE5@H? E92E H@F=5 7F?5 E96 286?4J[ H9:=6 :?4=F5:?8 C67@C>D E@ x>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 rFDE@>D t?7@C46>6?E[ xrt]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^FD^=:G6\?6HD^ED2\H2:E\E:>6D\:46\2:CA@CED\_b\ab\aenA@DE\:5l4>?bfB7ed___Bb3eC7@baHA6AQm#6A@CEDk^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?mDFC72465 @? |@?52J E92E E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D A=2??:?8 E@ 56A=@J xrt 286?ED E@ `c 2:CA@CED 2>:5 E96 @?8@:?8 A2CE:2= D9FE5@H?] %C2?DA@CE2E:@? $64FC:EJ p5>:?:DEC2E:@?[ %$p[ @77:4:2=D 2C6 ?@E 36:?8 A2:5 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 E96 DE2?5@77 :? r@?8C6DD 2?5 42==@FED 92G6 :?4C62D65 :? C646?E 52JD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^e234]4@>^A@DE^:46\286?ED\56A=@J65\A9:=256=A9:2\:?E6C?2E:@?2=\2:CA@CE\D@FC46D\D2J^`gfdd`f`^Qm!9:=256=A9:2 x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CEk^2m k^DEC@?8mkDA2?m2?5k^DA2?m kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EC:3=:G6]4@>^=:76DEJ=6D^EC2G6=^:46\286?ED\6IA64E65\2E\A:EED3FC89\:?E6C?2E:@?2=\2:CA@CE^Qm!:EED3FC89 x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CEk^2mk^DEC@?8m kDA2?mH6C6 :?4=F565 :? E96 =:DE @7 2:CA@CED H96C6 xrt 286?ED 2C6 6IA64E65]k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
