DHS hearing yields rare Democratic praise for Mullin, signaling warmer Capitol Hill ties

At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security, Democratic appropriators offered unusually warm praise for Secretary Markwayne Mullin, commending his openness and improved communication with lawmakers while still pressing him on border fencing and detention conditions. Mullin described using reconciliation funds to modernize DHS operations, including targeted staffing boosts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and highlighted constructive outreach to Democratic state officials like Hawaii’s Josh Green, marking a thaw in Capitol Hill-DHS relations compared with past scrutiny.