Republicans in the House and Senate are at odds. Markwayne Mullin insists, "it isn’t hopeless."
The senator from Oklahoma is making efforts to unite the Republican Party on Capitol Hill.
TroibNews 
Senate Republicans have always felt that their counterparts in the House GOP communicate in a different language. Now, faced with the critical party agenda, they're looking to a translator among them.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who joined the Senate two years ago after a decade in the House, has quickly embraced the role of House whisperer, as his Senate colleagues often refer to him. The 47-year-old former plumbing company owner and retired mixed martial arts fighter has established himself in this unofficial capacity.
“He plays a very constructive role,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an interview. “He’s just a guy who is always looking and driving to try to get things done.”
As the party grapples with internal disagreements over key issues a month into their congressional trifecta, Mullin's role has become more crucial. The House and Senate are currently at odds over their respective plans for President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, with significant debates looming regarding government funding and raising the debt ceiling.
Following Trump's election, Mullin moved decisively to bridge communication between House and Senate GOP leaders. Last year, amid a strategic disagreement over the GOP agenda, he facilitated a meeting between Thune and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, a close friend and former D.C. housemate.
“There was a difference between the two and they needed to work it out and they are both friends of mine. So I was like, ‘Hey, let's get everybody in a room,’” Mullin said in an interview.
Although the meeting didn’t produce immediate results, it established an informal communication channel that continues today. Thune credited Mullin, who took part in the meeting, with opening valuable “lines of communication.”
The perennial disputes between the House and Senate are well-known, but few lawmakers in history have been as proactive in fostering inter-chamber relationships as Mullin, who served five terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2022.
Mullin frequently attends House GOP weekly conference meetings and the Republican Study Committee's Wednesday lunches—an uncommon occurrence for senators. He is often seen moving in and out of Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. During a recent meeting where House Republicans discussed their budget resolution, Mullin attended and mentioned he was just there to “listen.”
His unofficial role highlights a reputation from his House days as someone who actively engages in complex situations. He has taken personal risks to resolve issues, such as attempting to de-escalate riots at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, or seeking to enter Afghanistan during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. More recently, he has become a prominent voice on social media, clarifying Senate procedures and advocating for Trump's Cabinet nominees.
Currently, Mullin is focused on easing the sometimes tense dynamics between the two chambers. He participates in House GOP Conference meetings twice a month, exchanges information with Johnson, and communicates regularly with Smith.
“I think it's helpful to have kind of a liaison between both chambers because there's a lot of confusion that takes place,” Mullin said. “You would think that with us being in the same building we would know what each chamber is doing, but really we don't.”
Mullin also pointed out that, although he rarely speaks during House GOP conference meetings, several lawmakers approach him afterward with questions about the Senate's status and what they need to know.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, another former House member, shared that while he wasn’t particularly interested in engaging with senators during his time in the House, he now sees Mullin as a “valuable source” of intelligence regarding House dynamics.
Mullin maintains one of the closest relationships with Trump among Republican senators, making him, as Thune describes it, a “Senate whisperer” for Trump while also interpreting House activities for his colleagues. He acted as an important intermediary for Thune during last year’s GOP leadership race, urging Trump to remain neutral in the competition to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell as the party leader.
Trump acknowledged Mullin during a recent closed-door dinner with Senate Republicans, joking about his well-known clash with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien.
“Don’t fight him,” Trump quipped at the dinner. “He almost got into a fight with a tough cookie, the Teamsters president … but [O’Brien] would’ve been in trouble with this one.”
Now in his third year as a senator, Mullin serves as one of four advisers to the elected GOP leadership, attending their weekly meetings. He is also part of the whip team, a role he held during his tenure in the House.
Mullin also offers informal guidance to his colleagues, according to Sen. John Hoeven, using his connections in the House to “let us know what they’re thinking and what might be a good way to work together with them and get stuff accomplished.”
“I think it’s very helpful,” Hoeven remarked. “He’s just kind of taken on that unofficial role to become a liaison.”
Mullin played a key role as an initial interpreter within the Senate GOP when Johnson and Smith diverged from Thune’s strategy by advocating for a single expansive bill addressing Trump's domestic policy agenda instead of two separate pieces of legislation. He clarified the pressures faced by House leaders given their slim Republican majority, arguing that a single high-stakes vote was more manageable for them.
However, Mullin has since supported Thune’s approach to advance his two-bill plan. He recognized that the House has missed its own deadlines, while downplaying the tensions between the chambers.
While Republicans do not expect Mullin to perform a miracle with the two chambers still on diverging paths, several GOP senators recognize the urgency of mending relations and regard Mullin as their unofficial liaison to the House—a title that has humorously gained traction among some Senate GOP staffers.
Sen. Katie Britt highlighted Mullin's capacity for nurturing “very strong and deep relationships,” enabling him to navigate “challenging conversations” with the House while also aiding Senate Republicans in grasping the situation across the Capitol.
“I think that oftentimes we aren't talking until it's too late,” Britt noted about the House-Senate relationship, adding that fostering cooperation earlier in the process could lead to better outcomes.
Benjamin Guggenheim and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who joined the Senate two years ago after a decade in the House, has quickly embraced the role of House whisperer, as his Senate colleagues often refer to him. The 47-year-old former plumbing company owner and retired mixed martial arts fighter has established himself in this unofficial capacity.
“He plays a very constructive role,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an interview. “He’s just a guy who is always looking and driving to try to get things done.”
As the party grapples with internal disagreements over key issues a month into their congressional trifecta, Mullin's role has become more crucial. The House and Senate are currently at odds over their respective plans for President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, with significant debates looming regarding government funding and raising the debt ceiling.
Following Trump's election, Mullin moved decisively to bridge communication between House and Senate GOP leaders. Last year, amid a strategic disagreement over the GOP agenda, he facilitated a meeting between Thune and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, a close friend and former D.C. housemate.
“There was a difference between the two and they needed to work it out and they are both friends of mine. So I was like, ‘Hey, let's get everybody in a room,’” Mullin said in an interview.
Although the meeting didn’t produce immediate results, it established an informal communication channel that continues today. Thune credited Mullin, who took part in the meeting, with opening valuable “lines of communication.”
The perennial disputes between the House and Senate are well-known, but few lawmakers in history have been as proactive in fostering inter-chamber relationships as Mullin, who served five terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2022.
Mullin frequently attends House GOP weekly conference meetings and the Republican Study Committee's Wednesday lunches—an uncommon occurrence for senators. He is often seen moving in and out of Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. During a recent meeting where House Republicans discussed their budget resolution, Mullin attended and mentioned he was just there to “listen.”
His unofficial role highlights a reputation from his House days as someone who actively engages in complex situations. He has taken personal risks to resolve issues, such as attempting to de-escalate riots at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, or seeking to enter Afghanistan during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. More recently, he has become a prominent voice on social media, clarifying Senate procedures and advocating for Trump's Cabinet nominees.
Currently, Mullin is focused on easing the sometimes tense dynamics between the two chambers. He participates in House GOP Conference meetings twice a month, exchanges information with Johnson, and communicates regularly with Smith.
“I think it's helpful to have kind of a liaison between both chambers because there's a lot of confusion that takes place,” Mullin said. “You would think that with us being in the same building we would know what each chamber is doing, but really we don't.”
Mullin also pointed out that, although he rarely speaks during House GOP conference meetings, several lawmakers approach him afterward with questions about the Senate's status and what they need to know.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, another former House member, shared that while he wasn’t particularly interested in engaging with senators during his time in the House, he now sees Mullin as a “valuable source” of intelligence regarding House dynamics.
Mullin maintains one of the closest relationships with Trump among Republican senators, making him, as Thune describes it, a “Senate whisperer” for Trump while also interpreting House activities for his colleagues. He acted as an important intermediary for Thune during last year’s GOP leadership race, urging Trump to remain neutral in the competition to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell as the party leader.
Trump acknowledged Mullin during a recent closed-door dinner with Senate Republicans, joking about his well-known clash with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien.
“Don’t fight him,” Trump quipped at the dinner. “He almost got into a fight with a tough cookie, the Teamsters president … but [O’Brien] would’ve been in trouble with this one.”
Now in his third year as a senator, Mullin serves as one of four advisers to the elected GOP leadership, attending their weekly meetings. He is also part of the whip team, a role he held during his tenure in the House.
Mullin also offers informal guidance to his colleagues, according to Sen. John Hoeven, using his connections in the House to “let us know what they’re thinking and what might be a good way to work together with them and get stuff accomplished.”
“I think it’s very helpful,” Hoeven remarked. “He’s just kind of taken on that unofficial role to become a liaison.”
Mullin played a key role as an initial interpreter within the Senate GOP when Johnson and Smith diverged from Thune’s strategy by advocating for a single expansive bill addressing Trump's domestic policy agenda instead of two separate pieces of legislation. He clarified the pressures faced by House leaders given their slim Republican majority, arguing that a single high-stakes vote was more manageable for them.
However, Mullin has since supported Thune’s approach to advance his two-bill plan. He recognized that the House has missed its own deadlines, while downplaying the tensions between the chambers.
While Republicans do not expect Mullin to perform a miracle with the two chambers still on diverging paths, several GOP senators recognize the urgency of mending relations and regard Mullin as their unofficial liaison to the House—a title that has humorously gained traction among some Senate GOP staffers.
Sen. Katie Britt highlighted Mullin's capacity for nurturing “very strong and deep relationships,” enabling him to navigate “challenging conversations” with the House while also aiding Senate Republicans in grasping the situation across the Capitol.
“I think that oftentimes we aren't talking until it's too late,” Britt noted about the House-Senate relationship, adding that fostering cooperation earlier in the process could lead to better outcomes.
Benjamin Guggenheim and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
