Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee is retiring from the House after only three terms because he believes the country’s legislative branch is fundamentally broken, he said Wednesday.
Green oversaw the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, Axios reported.
Later Wednesday, he told his constituents in west-central Tennessee and others that he would be calling it a career after this coming year because of the dysfunction in both chambers of Congress.
In a statement he shared on social media, Green said, “Our country — and our Congress — is broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington.
“As I have done my entire life, I will continue serving this country — but in a new capacity.”
I’m announcing my retirement from Congress. https://t.co/6WKTWCpimU pic.twitter.com/eg7KfuLtxs
— Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) February 15, 2024
Green did not offer any indication of what his next role fighting permanent Washington might be.
In a lengthy statement on his congressional website, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security expounded on his issues with the state of Congress.
Is congress broken like Mark Green says?
Green said he had concluded that the country’s founders did not intend for lawmakers to make lifelong careers in government.
“At the start of the 118th Congress, I promised my constituents to pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable. Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home.
“In the last few months, in reading the writings of our Framers, I was reminded of their intent for representatives to be citizen-legislators, to serve for a season and then return home.”
Green also thanked his family for not only supporting him in Washington but also during his career in the U.S. Army.
The congressman, who never faced a primary opponent and cruised to re-election in 2020 and 2022, also thanked his voters and his staffers.
Green made headlines earlier this month when he reportedly attacked Mayorkas for not doing his job by closing the country’s border with Mexico during the first failed attempt to impeach him.
Forbes reported that in a closed-door GOP House meeting Green referred to the DHS secretary as a “reptile with no balls” over his refusal to resign from his job.
A representative for Green confirmed to the outlet that Green did indeed use the language about Mayorkas as was quoted.
Green offered no apology and ultimately led Tuesday’s successful push to impeach the DHS head.
