Last week, during the House Republicans’ first attempt at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro, GOP Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee was seen screaming at GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. The former wanted the latter to toe the party line and support the resolution, and the latter wouldn’t budge.
Five days later, Gallagher surprised the political world by announcing he wouldn’t seek re-election to Congress. Five days after that, the lawmaker who screamed at Gallagher announced he no longer wants to serve on Capitol Hill, either. Roll Call reported:
Tennessee Rep. Mark E. Green, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, will retire at the end of his term, becoming the fifth committee chair to not seek reelection this year. Green’s announcement comes the day after the House voted, 214-213, to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, culminating an effort that Green led over several months.
The Republican congressman’s press statement noted, “Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home.”
Of course, H.R. 2 was an inconsequential messaging bill that’s gone ignored in the Senate. Similarly, Mayorkas’ impeachment will be easily discarded in the upper chamber.
Or put another way, what Green characterized as accomplishments were largely meaningless partisan stunts.
The Republican added, “Our country — and our Congress — is broken beyond most means of repair.” Evidently, Green will try to help put things right by leaving public office.
For those unfamiliar with the outgoing congressman, the Tennessean has a curious professional background. In 2017, Donald Trump tapped Green — at the time, a GOP state senator — to serve as his secretary of the Army. As regular readers might recall, the political world soon learned about Green’s strange beliefs: He’d argued that being transgender is a “disease,” promoted creationism, criticized public…
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