House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) is "seriously reconsidering" his decision to retire, less than two weeks after announcing he would not seek reelection to Congress, he confirmed to The Hill.
Green announced his decision to retire on Feb. 14, after he led the successful effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The articles of impeachment passed on their second attempt with just one vote to spare, making Mayorkas the first Cabinet official in nearly 150 years to be impeached.
In announcing his decision to retire, Green said he wanted to “go out with a win.”
“I’ve accomplished what I wanted to do. I wanted to get a great border security bill done. We did that, and I wanted to hold the administration accountable, and we just impeached for the first time a sitting Cabinet secretary,” Green told reporters outside the Capitol at the time.
“I’ve learned being here that the fight isn’t in Washington. I think the fight is with Washington,” Green said.
Punchbowl News was the first to report he was reconsidering his decision.
Green is among five GOP committee chairs who have announced their retirements at the end of this Congress — an unusually high number of senior lawmakers and rising stars willing to give up their gavels. Many in the House are blaming the toxicity on Capitol Hill, where internal party clashes have ground legislating to a snail's pace.
Green earlier this month did not comment on future plans — including whether he would consider running for another office, such as in the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial race — but he said he plans to “go help Donald Trump win the presidency.”
Punchbowl News reported that several Tennessee lawmakers are calling on him to reconsider.
“I am hoping Mark Green will reconsider and get back in TN7. Mark is a solid conservative, and we need him to continue his work on the border,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said, Punchbowl reported.
“Our country is in peril and I need conservative warriors like Mark alongside me as we fight to save our great nation!” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) told Punchbowl.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), according to Punchbowl, called Green a “good friend” and said, “I would welcome him staying.”