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Markwayne Mullin on Homeland Security

 

 


Record numbers of new recruits since Trump's in office

We've had record numbers of new recruits coming in the service since President Trump has taken office. The morale is through the roof because people are finally saying, "President Trump has taken the fight to our enemies rather than sitting back and apologizing and focus more on DEI than actual lethality," which is what our service members want to do. They want to sign up for what they did, protect American rights, and go after those enemies that want to come and harm Americans.
Source: Meet the Press on 2026 Oklahoma Senate race , Mar 30, 2025

Hegseth qualifies as SecDef because he's a civilian

Q: On Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth...

MULLIN: Pete is qualified to be the SecDef.

Q: What makes him qualified? What makes him qualified?

MULLIN: He is a civilian--this is a civilian role. First of all, SecDef is a civilian position.

Q: Well, I'm a civilian. I'm not qualified.

MULLIN: Exactly. No, no, but let me get to it. He's a civilian, which that first is the only qualification that the SecDef has to have. Now, if you want to go more than that, he also served honorably in the service for 20 years and is a decorative combat veteran. He retired as a major. He's had a successful career since then. He can articulate what needs to be done and he knows the system. Now, outside of that, what other qualifications does it say that a SecDef has to have?

Q: It's not about what the actual letter of the law is. It's who is appropriate. I hear you that Donald Trump did say he wanted to put people in to be disrupters.

MULLIN: That's right.

Source: CNN SOTU 2024 interview on 2026 Oklahoma Senate race , Nov 24, 2024

Nation must honor its commitments to veterans

America made commitments to its military and it falls upon all of our shoulders to ensure our nation honors those commitments. My priority has always been to help veterans cut through the bureaucracy at the VA or other federal agencies. I have held yearly Veteran Town Hall meetings around our district to successfully bring together veterans, their families and available area resources. My office held informational seminars to help veterans understand the newly-enacted VA Choice Program.
Source: 2022 Oklahoma Senate campaign website MullinForCongress.com , Mar 27, 2022

Let military do their jobs with every tool available

We must fully support our troops whenever they are sent into harm's way. Our fighting men and women deserve strong, consistent leadership from their Commander in Chief, with clear objectives and a decisive plan for victory. Our military must be permitted to do the jobs they have been trained to do with every tool available in order to achieve the mission's goals and objectives of defeating America's enemies.
Source: 2022 Oklahoma Senate campaign website MullinForCongress.com , Mar 27, 2022

Supports banning military gay marriage.

Mullin supports the CC Voters Guide question on military gay marriage

Christian Coalition publishes a number of special voter educational materials including the Christian Coalition Voter Guides, which provide voters with critical information about where candidates stand on important faith and family issues. The Christian Coalition Voters Guide summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Prohibiting the military from forcing chaplains to perform same-sex marriages"

Source: Christian Coalition Voter Guide 12-CC-q3c on Oct 31, 2012

Sponsored opposing the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

Mullin co-sponsored Resolution on UN

Congressional Summary:Expressing the conditions for the US becoming a signatory to the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

  1. the President should not sign the Arms Trade Treaty, and that the Senate should not ratify the ATT; and
  2. that no Federal funds should be authorized to implement the ATT.

Opponent`s argument against bill:(United Nations press release, June 3, 2013):

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [said] "With the ATT, the world has decided to finally put an end to the 'free-for-all' nature of international weapons transfers. From now on, weapons and ammunition should only cross borders after the exporter confirms that the transfer complies with internationally agreed standards. The Treaty will provide an effective deterrent against excessive and destabilizing arms flows, particularly in conflict-prone regions. It will make it harder for weapons to be diverted into the illicit market, to reach warlords, pirates, terrorists and criminals, or to be used to commit grave human rights abuses or violations of international humanitarian law."

Source: S.CON.RES.7 & H.CON.RES.23 : 13-HCR23 on Mar 13, 2013

Restrict domestic monitoring of phone calls.

Mullin signed restricting domestic monitoring of phone calls

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2014 or the USA FREEDOM Act: Congressional Summary:

  • Requires the FBI, when seeking phone call records, to show both relevance and a reasonable suspicion that the specific selection term is associated with a foreign power engaged in international terrorism.
  • Requires a judge approving the release, on a daily basis, of call detail records; and to limit production of records to a period of 180 days.
  • Requires a declassification review of each decision issued by the FISA court; and make such decisions publicly available, subject to permissible redactions.

    Opposing argument: (ACLU, `Surveillance Reform After the USA Freedom Act`, June 3, 2015): The USA Freedom Act that passed by a 67-32 margin is not as strong as we wanted. It is markedly weaker than the original version of the USA Freedom Act that the ACLU first supported in 2013. We supported a sunset of the provisions in an effort to advance more comprehensive reform, including rejecting surveillance through cybersecurity information-sharing legislation. Notwithstanding this, however, it is very clear that the USA Freedom Act is a historic step forward.

    Opposing argument: (Cato Institute , `Cato scholars differ on USA Freedom Act`, Oct., 2015): The privacy community remained divided over the USA Freedom Act. The final version of the bill reauthorized several expiring Patriot Act provisions, but limited bulk collection. Some legislators argued that to pass new legislation would only provide the government convenient new legal justification for its spying--which it would interpret broadly. On the opposite side of the argument stood some pro-privacy groups who held that modest reforms were better than no reforms at all.

    Source: H.R.2048&S.2685 14-H2048 on Apr 28, 2015

    End bulk data collection under USA PATRIOT Act.

    Mullin co-sponsored USA FREEDOM Act

    Congressional summary:: Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act or the USA FREEDOM Act: