The already narrow margin in the U.S. House of Representatives is set to shrink even further. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, announced Monday that he plans to resign from Congress following the next vote on the reconciliation package.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up,” Green said in a statement addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
As of June, the House stands at 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with two vacancies resulting from the recent deaths of Democratic lawmakers. Green’s departure will reduce the GOP majority in the already closely divided chamber, increasing pressure on Republican leadership to maintain unity.
Green, who represents Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, called serving in Congress “the honor of a lifetime.” Reflecting on his tenure, he said, “They asked me to deliver on the conservative values and principles we all hold dear, and I did my level best to do so. Along the way, we passed historic tax cuts, worked with President Trump to secure the border, and defended innocent life.”
Green highlighted his efforts leading the impeachment of former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — a move later dismissed by the Senate — and passing what he described as “the strongest border security legislation in history to ever pass the House.”
“However, my time in Congress has come to an end,” he said. “Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress. By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me.”
Green’s district, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+10, is solidly Republican. He won re-election last year with nearly 60 percent of the vote, making a GOP hold likely in any upcoming special election.
Earlier this year, Green announced he would not seek re-election in 2024 and was reportedly considering a future run for governor of Tennessee in 2027. According to reports, then-candidate Donald Trump convinced Green to remain in Congress longer to help ensure continued Republican control of the House. Green has not yet confirmed details about his next role in the private sector.