FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rep. Mark Green Retires from the U.S. House of Representatives
WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Mark Green (TN-07), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement:
“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.
It was the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of Tennessee in Congress. 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. I am extremely proud of my work as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and want to thank my staff, both in my seventh district office, as well as the professional staff on that committee.
I have now served the public for nearly four decades. The Army took me to Iraq and Afghanistan. The people sent me to the Tennessee legislature and the halls of Congress. Along the way, I have often remarked on the strength of the men and women I have served with. I know that the integrity, decency, and faith of the American people are what powered us for the first 250 years, and will power us for another 250 and beyond.
I can proudly look back at my time in Congress and the success that we have accomplished on behalf of Tennesseans and the American people. 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. However, my time in Congress has come to an end.
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.
I have no doubt that my colleagues in this Congress will continue to strengthen the cause of freedom. May God bless them, and the United States of America.”
Rep. Green served as the Freshman Class President in the 116th Congress following his election in 2018. At the beginning of the 118th Congress, Rep. Green was selected as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, becoming the only member of Congress to be selected at the start of their third term to chair a major legislative committee in the 21st century. In 2024, Rep. Green led the effort to impeach former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Nicolas Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors. On February 13, 2024, the House of Representatives successfully impeached Secretary Mayorkas.
Highlights from Rep. Green’s service in the 116th Congress:
Rep. Green introduces his first bill to Congress, the Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act, alongside former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to allow Coast Guard Gold Star Spouses to continue receiving stipends via the Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP) from the federal government during a lapse in appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Green’s legislation directing the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the toxic exposure of American veterans who served at K2 Air Base in Uzbekistan passed in the FY2021 NDAA.
Rep. Green’s request for a waiver of the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was included in the Senate’s coronavirus relief legislation. He sent a letter to Senators McConnell and Schumer urging the Senate to give school districts more time to implement proper protocols given the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Green’s Spiritual Readiness Amendment to the FY2020 NDAA, which directed the Department of Defense to assess the availability and usage of the assistance of chaplains, houses of worship, and other spiritual resources for members of the Armed Forces of all self-identified religious affiliations in order to help counter the tragic rate of military suicides, was signed into law.
Rep. Green’s Unifying DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act was passed by the House of Representatives.
Rep. Green introduced a Constitutional Amendment to prevent radical Democrats from packing the Supreme Court. The amendment would have limited the number of seats on the Supreme Court to nine, the number it has been since 1869.
Highlights from Rep. Green’s service in the 117th Congress:
Rep. Green was named Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration and International Economic Policy.
Rep. Green’s amendment to H.R. 5665 to ensure special envoy reports include Uyghur Muslims was passed by the House.
Rep. Green’s legislative win in the House-passed FY2022 NDAA:
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Passed an amendment to stress that improving housing for our military servicemembers must be a top priority for the Department of Defense.
Rep. Green’s legislative wins in the FY2022 NDAA signed into law:
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Passed an amendment to mandate that soldiers only receive an honorable discharge for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination.
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Passed a bill to require the State Department to implement a comprehensive five-year strategic staffing plan to modernize its workforce.
Rep. Green’s legislative wins in the House-passed FY2023 NDAA:
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Passed a provision mandating the Department of Defense produce a report on the illicit trafficking of oil and rare earth minerals in the Western Hemisphere.
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Passed a bipartisan amendment banning products manufactured in or imported from China on military installations.
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Passed a bipartisan provision directing the Commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command to establish a training program between the Army Special Operations Forces of the United States and Poland.
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Passed a provision mandating the Department of Defense study the malign influence operations of the Russian Federation and Chinese Communist Party in Latin America.
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Passed an amendment that directs the Department of Defense to produce a report on the opportunities for closer cooperation between the United States and India.
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Passed an amendment authorizing additional funds for the use of the U.S. Army’s aviation modernization efforts: Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL)
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Passed an amendment authorizing additional funds in the U.S. Army’s Operations and Management budget for the purpose of improvements to Army unaccompanied soldier barracks.
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Passed an amendment mandating the Department of Defense to produce data and inputs on the inequities in the retirement process for reserve officers vis-a-vis their active duty counterparts.
A tireless advocate for veterans exposed to toxins during the early years of the War on Terror, Rep. Green led the bipartisan K2 Veterans Toxic Exposure Accountability Act of 2020, which directed the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the toxic exposure of those American veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) in Uzbekistan. This bill was included in the FY21 NDAA and signed into law and also served as the model for President Trump’s January 19, 2021 Executive Order.
Highlights from Rep. Green’s service in the 118th Congress:
Under Rep. Green’s leadership, the House Committee on Homeland Security advanced articles of impeachment on Jan. 31, 2024, following a nearly year-long investigation into the causes, costs, and consequences of the unprecedented crisis at America’s borders. On February 13, 2024, the House of Representatives successfully impeached Secretary Mayorkas.
Before the impeachment, Rep. Green led the Committee through a nearly year-long investigation into the causes, costs, and consequences of the unprecedented crisis at America’s borders. The five-phase report covers the full investigation, totaling nearly 400 pages.
Under Rep. Green’s leadership, the House Committee on Homeland Security advanced the Border Reinforcement Act. The bill was incorporated into H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.
Rep. Green’s bipartisan bill, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, was signed into law on October 6, 2023.
Rep. Green’s legislative wins in the House-passed FY25 NDAA:
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Passed an amendment that shifts Mexico from the area of responsibility of the United States Northern Command to the United States Southern Command.
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Passed an amendment that directs the Commander of Army Special Operations Command to establish an exchange program between Army special operations forces and the special operations forces of the Polish Army.
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Passed an amendment that prohibits the Secretary of Defense from providing any support for the production of a film subject to content restrictions or censorship screening requirements from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or government of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
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Passed an amendment that mandates that the Department of Defense produce a report to Congress on the feasibility of furnishing the National Guard of every state a cyber unit to ensure the state has the ability to quickly respond to cyber attacks.
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Passed an amendment that requires the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the Department maintains access to a top-tier subterranean training facility for the improvement of training for Special Operations Forces (SOF) units.
Rep. Green’s amendment to H.R. 5 to require timely notice to parents if a cyber attack on their child’s school may have compromised their information passed the House.
Rep. Green was recognized by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearm industry trade association, for his commitment to the Second Amendment.
Rep. Green was awarded the Guardian of Small Business award by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
The Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act, a companion bill to Rep. Green’s bipartisan legislation, which extends the authorization of overtime pay for United States Secret Service agents to ensure they are properly compensated for the additional work required of them, was signed into law
Rep. Green co-launched the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus to promote and advance legislation and policy actions that help increase access to quality, affordable health care, and mental health services for all rural Americans.
Rep. Green’s bipartisan, bicameral Securing Open Source Software Act of 2023, which improves how the Federal government manages the risk of using open source software, advanced out of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Rep. Green introduced a Constitutional Amendment to require a 3/5 supermajority of Congress to approve any tax increases on the American people.
Highlights from Rep. Green’s service in the 119th Congress:
Rep. Green led the push in the House Committee on Homeland Security to advance one of the biggest investments in border security in U.S. history as part of H.R. 1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which included $46 billion on new border wall systems, $1 billion in spending for Non-Intrusive Inspection technology for CBP agents at ports of entry, $2.7 billion for border surveillance technology, including unmanned aircraft systems, ground detection sensors, tunnel detection capability and other needed devices, $1.2 billion in spending for Air and Marine Operations, and $673 million would be directed to CBP’s biometric entry and exit system.
Rep. Green and the Tennessee Delegation secured an extension on the income tax filing deadline for Tennesseans in the wake of the catastrophic storms, tornadoes, and flooding that hit the state on April 2, 2025.
Rep. Green introduced the bipartisan K2 Veterans Total Coverage Act of 2025 alongside Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), to establish additional presumption of service connections for certain diseases—including cancer—that occur in veterans who suffered toxic exposure while serving at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (K2) in Uzbekistan, also known as Camp Stronghold Freedom, during the War on Terror.
Rep. Green sent letters to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins requesting an update on a study mandated by President Trump on the toxic exposure of veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad (Camp Stronghold Freedom or K2) during the War on Terror between 2001-2005. He also sent a letter to the Pentagon urging the DOD to complete a study on the toxic exposure of K2 veterans as mandated by his amendment in the FY2021 NDAA.
Rep. Green advanced the Cyber PIVOTT Act, a bill to bolster the nation’s cyber workforce, out of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
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