'It's a mystery!' Another powerful GOP committee leader's retirement spawns speculation

Republicans are losing yet another high-ranking House committee leader to retirement.

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) announced that he wouldn't seek re-election on Wednesday afternoon, after just a single term in charge of the House Homeland Security Committee. Earlier in the day, he had denied he was retiring to CNN's Melanie Zanona and Politico's Olivia Beavers, even calling it a "weird question" — but later confirmed it.

"At the start of the 118th Congress, I promised my constituents to pass legislation to secure our borders and hold [Homeland Security] Secretary Mayorkas accountable," said Green in a statement. "Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home."

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Notably, there is next to no chance that either H.R. 2 will become law or that Mayorkas will be convicted in the Senate.

According to Zanona, Green is mulling a run for governor of Tennessee — but this election will not take place for another three years, meaning Green is skipping out on an entire full term he could have served before that point.

Green's departure announcement comes after several other prominent Republicans, including other committee chairs, similarly stated their intent to head for the exits — which coincides with a period in which the GOP has suffered constant infighting and dysfunction in the House. Longtime Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ken Buck (R-CO) will not be running again, and recently the former House Republican Conference leader and Energy and Commerce Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said that she is retiring as well.

"I wonder why all these republicans are retiring?" posted commentator Molly Jong-Fast on X. "It’s a mystery!"