NEW: GOP Majority Shrinks After Congressman Resigns

U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) announced over the weekend that he will be resigning from Congress in order to take a mysterious new job, leaving Republicans with a razor thin majority in the chamber for the foreseeable future.

Green, a retired Army officer, had previously revealed his intention to retire after the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, which was signed into law on Independence Day. Green had not yet provided an exact date, though he confirmed that he will be leaving Congress effective July 20 in a letter to House leadership.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am here to say farewell. I have had the honor of spending decades in service to our nation. From three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan to serving in the Tennessee State Senate and the United States Congress, duty to this nation has defined who I am. But now, it’s time for me to begin a new chapter,” the congressman announced in a video statement.

Green, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, added that he felt the Fourth of July was the most fitting day to step aside after 36 years of public service. “Tennessee will forever be home. As a state senator, you trusted me to be your voice in Nashville, and as a congressman, you trusted me to be your voice in Washington. I will always be grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our great state of Tennessee,” he said.

“My goal this Congress was to fight for Tennesseans and to reverse the Biden-Harris administration’s border disaster, and I am proud of the progress made. The border security aspects of the reconciliation bill are the strongest in the nation’s history, and I am proud of the work of my committee getting that done. I am also proud of the work the committee did to pass the Secure the Border Act, the strongest border security legislation to ever pass the House, and to hold the previous administration accountable through a historic impeachment that sent a clear message to President Biden, we are a nation of laws.”

The congressman went on to thank his constituents for the “humbling” experience of representing them and acknowledged that it is time to “pass the torch.”

With Green stepping aside, Republicans will hold a 219-212 majority in the House. That majority is set to shrink further due to upcoming special elections for Democrats who passed away earlier this year, all three of which are occurring in deep blue districts.

There will eventually be a special election to replace Green, who filled current Senator Marsha Blackburn’s seat in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District when she was elected to the upper chamber. The district leans heavily to the right and is expected to be filled by a Republican.

As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Green played an integral role in crafting many of the border provisions included in the Big Beautiful Bill.

Green’s resignation will give House leadership a practically nonexistent margin for error as they attempt to navigate key budget and committee matters ahead of  next year’s midterm elections. The most serious matter will almost certainly be a contentious government shutdown fight in the fall, when Congress decides how to fund the government for the next fiscal year.

The departure will also complicate Speaker Mike Johnson’s goals of pursuing another reconciliation package, the legislative vehicle used to advance the Big Beautiful Bill without Democrat support, later this year.

Green did not provide details on his private sector goals after leaving Congress.