Could Mississippi’s Guest be the next House Homeland Security Committee chairman?

• A 30-year-old House Republican rule may be the deciding factor in who replaces outgoing House Homeland Security Committee chairman Mark Green.

Mississippi Congressman Michael Guest, a Republican who has represented the state’s 3rd District since 2019, could be in line to be the next chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee.

House Homeland Security Committee chairman Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican Congressman, announced Monday that he would be retiring from Congress “as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package.”

House Republicans have very little wiggle room on President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” as it only cleared the chamber by one vote. Now, with the Senate looking to amend the legislation under pressure from debt-conscious conservatives, Speaker Mike Johnson (R) needs every vote possible. Green’s decision to stay until the package returns to the chamber could be key in the legislation’s passage.

Green said he was offered an opportunity in the private sector “that was too exciting to pass up.”

Congressman Guest, who chairs the Ethics Committee, has served on the Homeland Security Committee since entering the House. He has served as the committee’s vice ranking member and is currently the chairman of the Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee. He is second in line of seniority behind Green.

Ahead of Guest in seniority is Texas Congressman Michael McCaul, a Republican representing the state’s 10th District. McCaul previously chaired the Homeland Security Committee for six years. He currently serves as the committee’s vice chairman and also previously chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee. McCaul is considered Chairman Emeritus on both.

Senior House Republican leadership could seek to bypass a six-year term limit rule they have stuck steadfastly to for over 30 years, dating back to the 1994 Republican Revolution. This would allow McCaul, a previous chair of Homeland Security, to fill the role for the remainder of the current term.

However, with a year and a half remaining in that term, some members may balk at that suggestion, allowing Guest or another member to make their case for being the next Homeland Security Committee chairman.

When reached for comment on Tuesday, Congressman Guest told Magnolia Tribune that he has “enjoyed building an expertise on the issues under the Committee’s jurisdiction” while serving on the committee since coming to Congress.

“With Chairman Green’s announcement that he will resign from Congress soon, I intend to consult with my family, friends, and staff to determine how I can best serve Mississippi moving forward,” Guest said.

Should Guest move up the committee ladder to chairman, he would be the second Congressman from Mississippi to hold the gavel in recent years.

Mississippi 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson chaired the committee for a total of eight years when Democrats held the majority in the House. He remains on the committee and is his party’s ranking member.

Notably, the Democratic leadership in the House does not limit its members’ terms as committee chairs.