Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee announced Monday that he will step down from Congress after the House takes a final vote on the GOP’s sweeping tax and spending legislation known as the “big, beautiful bill.” His departure will also mean relinquishing his role as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Green shared that he has accepted a new role in the private sector, describing the opportunity as too compelling to turn down. In a statement, he said, “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 explained that while he originally intended to retire at the end of the last Congress, he remained in office to help push through President Trump’s border security agenda. As the leader overseeing the immigration and border security components of the reconciliation package, Green said he felt a duty to see it through. Once the final vote is cast, he confirmed he will step down, triggering a special election to fill his seat.
Green’s decision to remain until the bill’s final passage comes as a relief to House Republican leaders, who are navigating a narrow majority after the legislation passed by just one vote last month. With Senate Republicans preparing to amend the bill, the House is expected to vote again on the revised version later this summer.
This marks the second time Green has announced plans to resign, though this time the timing is tied directly to the legislative calendar.