Mark Green (Tennessee politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Green
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Official portrait, 2023
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| Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Bennie Thompson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 7th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Marsha Blackburn |
| Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 22nd district |
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| In office January 8, 2013 – November 1, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Barnes |
| Succeeded by | Rosalind Kurita |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mark Edward Green
November 8, 1964 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Camilla Guenther
(m. 1989; separated 2024) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) University of Southern California (MA) Wright State University (MD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1986–2006 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal Air Medal with valor (2) Combat Medical Badge Air Assault Badge Flight Surgeon Badge Ranger Tab Senior Parachutist Badge |
Mark Edward Green (born November 8, 1964) is an American politician and doctor. He is a retired officer from the U.S. Army. Since 2019, he has served as the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 7th district. As a member of the Republican Party, Green has led the Committee on Homeland Security since 2023. Before joining Congress, he was a state senator in Tennessee from 2013 to 2018.
After graduating from West Point, Green became an infantry officer. He later went to medical school at Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University. He became a flight surgeon, which is a doctor who specializes in aviation medicine. He served in the Afghanistan War and the Iraq War. He even wrote a book about his experience during Operation Red Dawn, which was when Saddam Hussein was captured. After leaving the military in 2006, Green became the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of a company that helps staff hospital emergency departments.
Green first got involved in state politics in 2012. He won a seat in the Tennessee Senate. In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Green to be the Secretary of the Army. However, Green withdrew his nomination. In 2018, he ran for Congress and was elected. He was reelected in 2020 and 2022. In October 2023, he was briefly a candidate for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, but he withdrew from the race.
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Military Service
In 1986, Mark Green graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned a degree in business management. In 1987, he earned a master's degree from the University of Southern California. From 1987 to 1990, Green was an infantry officer in the United States Army. He served in different leadership roles, including leading a rifle platoon.
After a personal experience where doctors saved his father's life, Green asked the Army to send him to medical school. He attended the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University and became a doctor in 1999. He then trained in emergency medicine. After his training, Green became a flight surgeon for a special Army aviation unit.
Service in War Zones
As a special operations flight surgeon, Green served in the Afghanistan War and twice in the Iraq War. He was the flight surgeon during Operation Red Dawn, the military mission that captured Saddam Hussein. Green questioned Hussein for six hours. After his military service, he wrote a book called A Night With Saddam. It described the capture and questioning of Hussein and his time with the Army's special aviation unit. Green was honorably discharged from the Army in 2006.
Military Awards
For his service, Green received several awards. These include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He also received the Air Medal for bravery during enemy fire while rescuing wounded soldiers. He earned the Combat Medical Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Flight Surgeon Badge.
Civilian Work
After his military career, Green started a company called Align MD. This company helps staff emergency departments and other hospital services. Align MD works with 50 hospitals in 10 states. Green also founded Two Rivers Medical Foundation. This foundation provides healthcare to people in need around the world through medical mission trips. It also runs a free medical clinic in his hometown.
Green has also served on the boards of several companies. He is also a board member for the Middle Tennessee Boy Scouts of America.
In 2015, Williamson College gave Green an honorary degree in Humanities.
Political Career
Tennessee State Senate
Mark Green was first elected to the Tennessee Senate in 2012. He won against the Democratic leader at the time. He was known for helping to end Tennessee's Hall Income Tax. This was only the second time in U.S. history that a state had removed an income tax. Green also received awards for laws that protected veterans and small businesses.
In 2015, Green suggested a new healthcare idea for Medicaid patients. The idea was to give them a special card with healthcare money. If they didn't spend all the money, the rest would go to them as extra income. This idea was approved by the governor, and they are waiting for federal approval to test the program.
Green won his reelection campaigns for the state senate in 2016.
Nomination for U.S. Army Secretary
In April 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Green to be the United States Secretary of the Army. This was Trump's second choice for the role. Green faced some opposition because of comments he had made in the past. He decided to withdraw his nomination on May 5, 2017.
Running for Governor and Congress
In January 2017, Green planned to run for governor of Tennessee. However, later that year, when U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn decided to run for the U.S. Senate, Green changed his mind. He announced he would run for her open congressional seat instead. His state senate district covered a large part of that congressional district.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Green became the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 without any opponents in his party. He won the general election in November and started his term in January 2019. He was reelected in 2020 and 2022, winning with a majority of the votes each time.
Time in Office
In February 2021, Green and other Republican House members missed votes. They had others vote for them, saying it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they were actually attending a political conference. An ethics group asked for an investigation into this.
In August 2022, it was reported that Green had not properly reported a stock purchase. This was a violation of a law called the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act. This law helps make sure politicians are transparent about their finances.
In February 2024, Green first announced he would not run for reelection, but then he changed his mind later that month. In July 2024, Green was named to a special group of lawmakers. This group is investigating the recent attempt to harm Donald Trump.
Committee Work
Mark Green is the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Homeland Security. He also serves on the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Within the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is part of subcommittees that focus on the Indo-Pacific region and the Western Hemisphere.
Group Memberships
Green is a member of several groups in Congress. These include:
- Freedom Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
- Special Operations Forces Caucus
- GOP Doctor's Caucus
- Prayer Caucus
- Military Family Caucus
- Military Veterans Caucus
- Congressional Army Caucus
- House Republican Israel Caucus
- Songwriters Caucus
- Values Action Team
- Congressional Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus
Political Views
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Climate Change
Green does not agree with the widely accepted scientific view that human activities are a main cause of climate change.
Creationism
Green does not accept the theory of evolution, which is a core idea in biology. In a 2015 talk, he used ideas from creationism.
2020 Election
In December 2019, Green voted against the impeachment of President Donald Trump. In December 2020, Green supported a lawsuit that tried to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. The Supreme Court did not hear the case.
Vaccines
In 2018, Green said that there might be a link between vaccine preservatives and autism. However, scientific studies have shown that this claim is not true. Major medical groups also disagree with this idea.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Green voted to support Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Personal Life
Mark Green and his wife, Camie, have two children. For many years, he lived in Ashland City, Tennessee. He has since moved to Clarksville. In August 2024, Green filed for divorce from his wife.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2023
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Green and Hermann Tertsch at CPAC 2022
