WATCH LIVE: Senator Markwayne Mullen testifies at his Homeland Security Secretary confirmation hearing

Sen. Markwayne Mullen, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, will testify at a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The session is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. EST. Watch the live stream in our video player above.

Trump appointed Mullen to take over the embattled agency from Kristi Noem, who was fired earlier this month after her leadership came under bipartisan scrutiny during tense congressional hearings.

Read more: Who is Markwayne Mullen, Trump’s new nominee for the Department of Homeland Security?

Mullen was elected to Congress in 2012 and described himself as a businessman and Washington outsider. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Mullen will take charge of one of the government’s largest agencies, leading the nation’s disaster response, counterterrorism efforts, border security, and the President’s mass deportation agenda. The Department of Homeland Security has been largely closed for more than a month due to political gridlock over immigration enforcement reform, affecting the agency’s operations and leading to long wait times for travelers.

Mullen, a former mixed martial arts fighter who once challenged the Teamsters president to a fight during a Senate hearing, vowed to remain “focused on protecting the homeland” if his appointment is confirmed.

Read more: Mullen, Trump’s security pick, is poised to inherit a challenging Department of Homeland Security

The Republican Party is considering focusing on how it handles immigration enforcement as voters grow concerned about aggressive tactics by Department of Homeland Security agents, which have led to the shooting deaths of at least three American citizens since Trump took office.