00:05On this vote, the ayes are 54, the nays are 45.
00:10The nomination of Mark Waiden Mullen of Oklahoma to be Secretary of Homeland Security is confirmed.
00:24Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made late upon the table.
00:28The President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
00:41Mr. President, on another matter later today, we'll be voting on the confirmation of Senator
00:47Mullen as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
00:51In the Senate, Mark Waiden has been a conservative warrior with a proven track record of supporting
00:56the American First Agenda and President Trump.
01:00He has been dogged in advocating for the good of his home state of Oklahoma.
01:05And I have every confidence he will carry out the same spirit of zeal and unwavering determination
01:11in his new role overseeing the Department of Homeland Security.
01:16As Democrats continue to hold funding for this agency hostage, we need a strong hand at the
01:23helm more than ever.
01:26We know that what the Democrats are doing in blocking the payment of appropriations for
01:32the Department of Homeland Security is endangering public safety in a number of ways.
01:37First, at the airport, where our TSA agents are overwhelmed and are not being paid, they've
01:44now missed two paychecks.
01:45This is a basic security measure put in place after 9-11, after the terrorist attacks of 9-11.
01:52And we know one component of ICE is the Homeland Security Investigations, which works hand-in-hand
02:01with the FBI to investigate domestic terrorism attacks.
02:07And so, literally, by not funding Homeland Security Investigations, Democrats are making
02:14it more likely, not less likely, that we'll have a successful terrorist attack on our home
02:20soil.
02:24We also know that the TSA agents had nothing to do with the differences that separate Democrats
02:31and Republicans here.
02:33In fact, their complaint is with ICE, because, again, they're the open borders policy.
02:39They don't want immigration laws enforced.
02:41And so, they're going to do everything they can to block funding for immigration and customs
02:46enforcement.
02:47But that also includes Homeland Security Investigations.
02:50And they come out here and they offer unanimous consent requests saying, no, we'll pay for
02:57the salaries of the Transportation Security Agency, but we won't pay to support the rest
03:04of the functions of the Department of Homeland Security, including support for FEMA, the Federal
03:09Emergency Management Agency, for the Coast Guard, and for ICE.
03:17The irony is, we already passed funding for ICE in the one big, beautiful bill.
03:23So their blockade of the funding for the Department of Homeland Security is not going to have an immediate
03:29impact on ICE.
03:31But it does demonstrate how out of touch and how extreme the Democrats have become in their
03:37opposition to common-sense measures that protect public safety.
03:46It's inexcusable to have the Department of Homeland Security, the very agency whose duty it is
03:52to protect and defend the homeland, shut down amidst all this chaos.
03:57At a time when global tensions are rising and the threat landscape is even more perilous, we
04:04can't afford to play politics with the safety and security of the American people.
04:11It's time for this to end.
04:12It's past time for this to end.
04:15This is not how the Senate is supposed to work.
04:20And this certainly isn't what my constituents in Texas, nor any American, deserves.
04:27So my hope is that the negotiations that are ongoing right now will be fruitful immediately,
04:33and that we will reopen the Department of Homeland Security, not for the good of any political
04:39party, but for the good of the American people.
04:42The Senate will soon confirm Senator Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma to be our secretary of the
04:48Department of Homeland Security.
04:50The sooner he's on the job, the safer, the stronger, and the more secure America will be.
04:56Mark Wayne is a servant leader in the truest sense.
05:01His hometown is Westville, Oklahoma, population of only 1,300 people.
05:06He's the youngest of seven children.
05:08When he was 20 years old, he stepped up to save his dad's plumbing company.
05:13He turned it into one of the largest in the state of Oklahoma.
05:16Mark Wayne is a father, a fighter, a Christian, and someone that others have known they can
05:21count on.
05:22He has served in both the House and the Senate of the United States.
05:26I'm fortunate to have worked closely with Mark Wayne on a day-to-day basis because he
05:31is a trusted member of our whip team.
05:34Mark Wayne is tough.
05:35He's hardworking.
05:37He works with others to solve problems.
05:39You always know where he stands.
05:41That's the way Mark Wayne is.
05:45On the whip team, he's played a critical role in passing the largest investment in American
05:50security in 40 years.
05:52He has been consistent in his commitment to enforce our law and to strengthen our border.
05:58Once confirmed, he's going to bring the same focus and urgency and consistency to lead that
06:04Department of Homeland Security.
06:06At his confirmation hearing, Mark Wayne laid out a clear vision.
06:10He said, my goal is for people to understand we're out there, we're protecting them, and
06:16we're working for them.
06:18That's exactly what he should do, and it's what he will do.
06:21The Department of Homeland Security exists to protect the American people from danger.
06:27From counterterrorism, to disaster relief, to border security, that department protects
06:31our communities from terrorists, from illegal drugs, and from cyber attacks.
06:37Mark Wayne understands fully the full weight of that critical mission.
06:42Mark Wayne also understands the importance of trust.
06:45He has made it clear that he will be open, communicative, cooperative, and committed to working
06:51with others to get the job done.
06:55Even Senate Democrats have said they like Mark Wayne.
07:00They may have disagreed with him politically, but they acknowledge his stellar character.
07:06Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said this month, I like him personally.
07:09Senator Chris Coons of Delaware says Mark Wayne is well-liked.
07:12Senator Peter Welch of Vermont served with Senator Mullen here in the Senate as well as
07:17in the House, and he said of Mark Wayne, he's respected, he's honest, and he's competent.
07:24At the confirmation hearing, Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Mark Wayne is upstanding
07:29and qualified.
07:31That kind of respect speaks to Mark Wayne's character.
07:34As the Senate considers Mark Wayne's nomination, we cannot ignore this situation facing the Department
07:41of Homeland Security today, right now, this very moment.
07:46Because right now the Department of Homeland Security is shut down.
07:52Senate Democrats shut it down by withholding its funding.
07:58That is the cruel fact.
08:00It is the undeniable fact.
08:02The fact is, Senate Democrats have voted five times to block full funding for the Department
08:09of Homeland Security.
08:11Many employees are working without pay.
08:14Others have been furloughed.
08:15Families are struggling to meet basic needs.
08:20TSA agents are quitting.
08:22They're calling in sick in rising numbers.
08:24And as a result, wait times at major airports are rising as well.
08:29We've seen terrorist attacks in New York, Virginia, Michigan, and Texas.
08:34Pro-Iran cyber hackers successfully attacked a major medical company in Michigan.
08:40The situation remains dangerous today.
08:42The warning lights are flashing red.
08:46And Democrats would rather pander to protect illegal immigrant criminals than pay to protect
08:51American people.
08:53Mark Wayne Mullen is ready to lead.
08:56He is ready to serve with seriousness and character.
09:00And he's going to be a leader who makes our country safer, stronger, and more secure.
09:06He will secure our borders.
09:07He will fight terrorism.
09:09He will protect our cyberspace.
09:11He will safeguard our communities.
09:13And he will support the individuals who keep our country safe.
09:18Today, this Senate will confirm Mark Wayne Mullen.
09:23Then the Senate must fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
09:27Because the safety and security of the American people depend upon it.
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