A longtime Republican member of the House left everyone stunned by suddenly announcing they were resigning from their position in the legislative branch. However, the individual made it clear that they wouldn’t be stepping down without doing everything possible to help secure the passage of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) revealed he’ll be riding off into the sun set, leaving House Republicans with an even slimmer majority for the remainder of the 119th Congress. In his announcement, he said he’ll be sticking around just long enough to vote “yes” for Trump’s bill.
“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. As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package,” he said in a post on X.
“Green, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, acknowledged the importance of remaining in office long enough to pass the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ which will inevitably return with changes from U.S. Senate Republicans in the coming weeks. Trump, Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) have agreed to try and send the bill to the president’s desk by the Fourth of July,” Trending Politics News reported.
“I am grateful to Speaker Johnson and House Leadership for placing their trust in me to chair the Committee on Homeland Security, lead the effort to impeach former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and to pass H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, the strongest border security legislation in history to ever pass the House,” Green went on to say in a separate statement. “However, my time in Congress has come to an end.”
“The Tennessee Republican originally announced his retirement last year before jumping into the race and running for an additional term. Shortly afterward, his wife went public with news of an extramarital affair, which Politico corroborated,” the article continued, adding, “Under House rules, lawmakers are required to disclose negotiations with another employer to the Ethics Committee. They are required to recuse themselves from matters where the future employer may be involved. Green did not disclose who will be hiring him after he leaves office.”
The empty seat from Green’s departure could stick around for several months. Tennessee law says that Gov. Bill Lee is required to call a special election 10 days after the seat is officially vacated. The general election is to be held between 100 and 107 days later.
One piece of good news to cling to in all this is that Green’s seat is safely Republican. The president won that district soundly, by a total of 22 points during the 2024 election.
"*" indicates required fields
