Senator John Fetterman adopted a conciliatory and often personal tone Wednesday during the confirmation hearing for Senator Markwayne Mullin, the nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security.
Speaking before the Senate, the Pennsylvania Democrat distanced himself from some members of his own party by calling for the deportation of undocumented immigrants with criminal records and reflecting on his history of working alongside the Republican nominee.
Fetterman described the scale of illegal border crossings during the Biden administration as “not sustainable,” comparing the monthly influx of people to the entire population of Pittsburgh arriving at the border.
“I was alarmed that there were up to 300,000 encounters at our border once a month,” Fetterman said. “You can’t possibly provide the American dream for people when the size of Pittsburgh showing up at our border once a month.”
During his testimony, Fetterman explicitly stated his support for the “rounding up” and deportation of criminals, questioning why such a stance would be considered controversial.
He specifically invoked the name of Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student whose death became a national flashpoint for immigration policy, noting that he was proud to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act.
“All three were failures of our government,” Fetterman said, referring to high-profile cases of crimes committed by non-citizens. “We have to address that and deport every single criminal in our nation.”
Fetterman also used his time to highlight his personal relationship with Mullin, recalling a bipartisan “codel” (congressional delegation) trip to the Turks and Caicos to secure the release of Americans facing prison time for possessing stray ammunition. He pushed back against the idea of “gotcha moments,” instead emphasizing “consistency, kindness, and professionalism” in his interactions with Mullin and his family.
Addressing the broader political climate, Fetterman touched on the necessity of moving past personal grievances and political violence. He shared a brief reflection on his own time in the hospital, noting that while “unkind things” were said about him, it is “better to just let it all go and to find a way forward.”
On the topic of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, Fetterman defended his past refusal to support agency shutdowns. He argued that shutting down the department—including its cybersecurity arms—does nothing to achieve ICE reforms and only serves to “punish those union members” and make the nation less secure. “China must be elated to know that part is all shut down,” he remarked.
Fetterman concluded his remarks by promising to maintain an “open mind” throughout the remainder of the confirmation process, emphasizing the need for lawmakers to find ways to work together despite their differences.
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