Washington — House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican, announced Monday that he plans to resign after Congress passes President Trump’s budget bill.
“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,” Green said in a statement.
His forthcoming resignation was first reported by Punchbowl News.
As the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Green led an effort last year to impeach then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Green has served in Congress since 2019. He had planned to retire at the end of last year instead of seeking a fourth term, but quickly reversed course after Mr. Trump urged him to reconsider.
“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,” Green said. “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 departure could further eat into House Republicans’ narrow majority, depending on when he leaves and when a special election is held in his solidly red district. Republicans can currently afford to lose three votes, but there are three vacancies from Democrats who died this year. Special elections to replace them are scheduled for the fall.
Congressional leaders have given themselves a self-imposed deadline of July 4 to send the reconciliation package to Mr. Trump. The House passed the bill before Memorial Day, and the Senate is expected to make changes to it in the coming weeks before sending it back to the lower chamber.
contributed to this report.