Tennessee Congressman Mark Green Resigns From Congress

Forbes Breaking News

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) resigns from Congress.

Transcript

00:00Good morning. It is with a heavy heart that I'm here to say farewell.

00:06I've had the honor of spending decades in service to our nation.

00:10From three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan to serving in the Tennessee State Senate

00:15and the United States Congress, duty to this nation has defined who I am.

00:21But now, it's time for me to begin a new chapter.

00:25When I was selected to lead the scout platoon of our infantry battalion

00:29as a first lieutenant, I met my new platoon sergeant.

00:33He was just promoted from sergeant first class to first sergeant.

00:37He was an outstanding non-commissioned officer.

00:40But shortly after, to everyone's dismay, he retired.

00:45All he said as he discussed his retirement was,

00:48you'll know lieutenant when it's time.

00:51I remembered that story as I left the Army some decades later, and it still rings true today.

00:57After 36 years of service to the country almost all of my adult life, I know it's time.

01:05On Friday, July the 4th, a date not selected by accident, I will step down from my role as representative of Tennessee's 7th District

01:15and as chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security.

01:19Over the last six years, I've been asked countless times what it's like being a member of Congress.

01:25I can tell you there is no higher honor than standing for the principles of our republic

01:30and being a small part of this great experiment in liberty that began nearly 250 years ago.

01:38From Fort Campbell, one of the nation's most elite military installations, to Nashville, the home of country music,

01:46to Franklin, America's favorite Main Street, to Houston County for a bit of Irish flair and beyond.

01:54Tennessee 7 is a diverse and beautiful district.

01:59After I reported into the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and just before leaving with them for war,

02:07the Clarksville community embraced me as one of its own.

02:13I will always be thankful for the people that helped me transition from the military to civilian life.

02:19And for that reason, among many others, Tennessee will forever be home.

02:23As a state senator, you trusted me to be your voice in Nashville.

02:27And as a congressman, you trusted me to be your voice in Washington.

02:31I will always be grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our great state of Tennessee.

02:36My goal this Congress was to fight for Tennesseans and to reverse the Biden-Harris administration's border disaster,

02:43and I am proud of the progress made.

02:45The border security aspects of the reconciliation bill are the strongest in the nation's history,

02:51and I am proud of the work of my committee getting that done.

02:56I am also proud of the work the committee did to pass the Secure the Border Act,

03:00the strongest border security legislation to ever pass the House,

03:04and to hold the previous administration accountable through a historic impeachment

03:09that sent a clear message to President Biden,

03:12we are a nation of laws.

03:15I've said since the beginning of my tenure that I wanted to start with veterans and end with veterans.

03:21The very first bill I ever introduced back in 2019 was the Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act

03:27to make sure that no spouse or family of a fallen hero would lose access to critical resources.

03:33And in one of my final acts in Congress, I introduced my K-2 Veterans Total Coverage Act

03:39to get veterans who suffered toxic exposure while serving at Camp Stronghold Freedom

03:43during the War on Terror the help they need.

03:46I also secured multiple amendments to six national defense authorization acts

03:51that ensured our nation's warriors have the tools they need to defend our nation,

03:55that our veterans are well taken care of, and to curb the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.

04:01Over the last six years, I have also fought to cut the red tape that crippled rural hospitals

04:07and to ensure onerous prior authorization rules do not get in the way of a cancer diagnosis.

04:12Additionally, my Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act,

04:16which protects the rights of student athletes to participate in shooting sports, was signed into law.

04:22I now go back into the private sector to start my own company.

04:29And while I cannot give the details here, I will be doing something specifically designed to help America compete against the CCP,

04:37but this time in business.

04:42Most of all, I have to thank my family who endured the stress and difficulty of this job.

04:52There were a lot of other people who helped me get here and who supported me.

04:56Honestly, the list would be far too long for any video.

05:00So I'll just say this.

05:03To my constituents across Tennessee's 7th District, thank you.

05:07The trust you put in me is humbling.

05:10And I will look back fondly on my years of serving as your voice in Washington.

05:15I'll leave you with this.

05:17It has been the honor of my lifetime to fight for the land of the free and the home of the brave.

05:26And I will continuously do so, but now in a different capacity.

05:32Every single one of us has a duty to ensure that this great experiment in liberty succeeds.

05:39To pass the torch to the next generation.

05:42God bless you.

05:43God bless the incredible state of Tennessee.

05:46The people of this amazing state.

05:49And may God bless the United States of America.

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