Democrats outraged as Fetterman votes to advance Markwayne Mullin nomination | Democrats
Democrats reacted angrily to their party colleague John Fetterman’s decision to put forward the nomination of Republican U.S. senator Markwayne Mullin as secretary of homeland security.
Fetterman, the senior U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, has left the party several times in recent months to support Republican proposals and has regularly expressed staunch support for Israel. He cast the deciding committee vote on Thursday to advance Mullin’s nomination to replace Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary.
This prompted U.S. House of Representatives member Brendan Boyle, another Pennsylvania Democrat, to take action. to say The vote showed why Fetterman is Donald Trump’s “favorite Democrat.”
“He needs to go,” Boyle added.
U.S. House of Representatives member Pat Ryan, Democrat of New York, in question: “If you needed more proof that Fetterman has completely abandoned his constituents, here it is. Pennsylvanians deserve a senator who actually fights for them.”
Meanwhile, at a town hall Thursday night, another Pennsylvania Democrat, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, suggested that Fetterman was harder to work with than the state’s junior senator, Republican Dave McCormick.
“Well, we have one senator—actually, we have two…and to be really honest with you, I’m more successful than either of them, [Republican] Side of the aisle compared to the side of the aisle [Democratic] side of the aisle,” Axios reported Houlahan says.
Writing to XOn Thursday, Fetterman hinted that he called on Trump to fire Noem from the presidential administration after federal immigration agents under his jurisdiction fatally shot two U.S. citizens in January.
“And she fired Noem,” Fetterman wrote, adding: “I approached the confirmation of my colleague and friend, Senator Mullin, with a truly open mind.”
Fetterman also alluded to how he voted “yes” in favor of Mullin’s appointment because he disagreed with his Democratic colleagues who refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security in order to leverage immigration enforcement reforms, prompting the temporary closure of several DHS agencies.
“We need a leader at DHS. We must reopen DHS,” Fetterman wrote. “My AYE is rooted in a strong, committed, constructive working relationship with Senator Mullin for the security of our nation.”
Fetterman was the only Democrat to join seven Republicans on the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee in advancing Mullin’s nomination from the panel to the full chamber. The Senate could confirm Mullin, of Oklahoma, next week.
Six other Democrats joined committee chairman Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, in voting against advancing Mullin’s nomination, primarily because of allegations that the nominee encouraged political violence.
