Mark Andrew Green

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Mark Green
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 8th district
In office 1999–2007
Preceded by	Jay Johnson
Succeeded by	Steve Kagen
Born	June 1, 1960 (1960-06-01) (age 48) Boston, Massachusetts
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Sue Green
Religion	Roman Catholic

Template:Infobox Ambassador to Tanzania Mark Andrew Green (born June 1, 1960) is an American politician and United States Ambassador to Tanzania, a position he has held since August 2007. He was was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, representing Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. His term ended in January 2007 when he did not seek re-election, opting to run for Governor of Wisconsin.

Green and his wife, Susan, have three children named Rachel, Anna, and Alex.

[edit] Early life, education, and career

Green was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His family moved often, and as a child he lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Ohio, England, South Africa and Australia.^[1] He attended Abbot Pennings High School in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Green received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1983. In 1987, he received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Following graduation from law school, Green joined the law firm Quarles & Bradley at their Green Bay offices.^{[citation needed]} In 1992, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served for six years and rose to the position of director of the Republican Caucus.^[2]

Upon returning to public life in early 2007, Green returned to Quarles & Bradley.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] U.S. House

Green first ran for a House seat in 1998. In a year in which America expressed anger at Congressional Republicans for the Impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Green was the only Republican Congressional candidate to defeat an incumbent Democrat. He defeated first-term Representative Jay Johnson, winning 54% of the vote. Green won the next three elections with 70% or more of the vote against little-known opponents.

Green has been an unwavering supporter of the war in Iraq, co-founding the Victory in Iraq caucus. He also strongly supported President Bush's faith-based initiative. In health care, he has voted in favor of George Bush's privatization Medicare program and has opposed prescription drug importation from Canada[1]. He had a 100% Pro-Life Voting record, opposing abortion in all forms except when the life of the mother is threatened [2]. He supports the death penalty and supported the No Child Left Behind act. He has pushed for subsidies for milk producers and fought a proposed tax on them in President Bush's 2006 budget.[3]

In January 1999, Green was selected as an Assistant Majority Whip [4] by then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, a position he held until early 2006.

[edit] 2006 campaign for Governor

Main article: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2006

Green unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Wisconsin against current Governor Jim Doyle, a Democrat. Green had crisscrossed the state for years planning a run for governor, and he announced his candidacy in 2005.

Green had no opponent in the Republican Party (GOP) primary. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker dropped out of the GOP primary on March 24, 2006, citing lack of campaign funds.[5] There was also brief speculation that former Governor Tommy Thompson and 2008 presidential candidate would enter the race, but he too declined, making Green the Republican nominee. After the Republican primary, Green was joined on the ticket by State Rep. Jean Hundertmark of Clintonville. Hundertmark defeated Nick Voegeli in the Republican primary.[6]

[edit] Campaign funding controversy

As part of Green's plan to run for Governor, he transferred $1.3 million from his federal campaign account to a state account for the 2006 campaign. However, the day after Green did so, the Wisconsin State Elections Board promulgated an emergency rule declaring such transfers illegal. The rule was temporarily suspended by a committee of the Wisconsin State Legislature, but neither body of the Legislature passed a bill forbidding the emergency rule by the end of its 2006 session. Thus, the Elections Board, in a 5-2 vote, declared that $467,844 of PAC money from groups not registered in Wisconsin was illegal and ordered Green to divest his campaign of it by September 15, 2006.^[3] The Elections Board ruled that a major change in federal campaign finance law, passed in 2002, states that such conversions or donations are only permitted if the money donated conforms with state law.

The case was appealed to Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess, who upheld the State Elections Board order.^[4] The Green campaign filed an injunction against the state of Wisconsin Elections Board on Sept 21, 2006 that his equal protection rights had been violated. On March 16, 2007 an agreement was reached where both sides agreed that Green's campaign followed the rules and law properly. Green declared vindication both from the settlement and the fact that the Elections Board was eliminated in a newly passed ethics reform bill.^[5] In Green's settlement with the Elections Board he is allowed to keep the $468,000 to cover campaign expenses, pay legal fees and make contributions to other candidates. However, it also prohibits Green from using the funds "for the purpose of advocating the candidacy of Mark Green in any future election" between now and 2010.

[edit] Nun protest

During a campaign visit by President George W. Bush to help raise funds for Green's campaign, approximately 100 nuns protested his visit.[7]

[edit] US Ambassador to Tanzania

U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Mark Green visits Tumaini Orphan Vocational Training Center in Arusha on November 16, 2007 where a Peace Corps volunteer is teaching Life Skills to students.

On June 8, 2007 President George W. Bush announced Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania. In 1987 and 1988, Green and his wife had served as volunteer teachers in Kenya with WorldTeach and while in Africa, they visited rural areas of neighboring Tanzania. Senator Russ Feingold, chairman of the African Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held hearings on Green's nomination as Ambassador on June 19.

On June 27, Senator Chris Dodd, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put a hold on Mark Green's nomination to replace Michael Retzer as Ambassador citing Retzer's action of revoking the country clearance of Peace Corps Country Director Christine Djondo as inteference in the independence of the Peace Corps. Dodd asked that Retzer rescind his cable of no confidence in Djondo or that the State Department provide a written apology to her. On June 28, the State Department provided a written letter of apology to Djondo and Senator Dodd released his hold on Green's nomination saying he was confident that Green "would be a welcome alternative to his predecessor."

On June 28, 2007 Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts put a block on Green's nomination as ambassador to Tanzania.^[6] Kerry placed a hold or a block on Green's nomination because Green is not a career diplomat.^[6] According to the State Department, about 65 percent of U.S. ambassadors are career foreign service officers, with the remaining 35 percent political appointees.^[6] Kerry ultimately agreed to remove his hold because of bipartisan support for Green from Democratic Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton as well as the entire Wisconsin Congressional delegation.^[7]

On August 3, 2007 the Senate confirmed Mark Green as Ambassador to Tanzania by unanimous consent.^[7]

[edit] Citations

[edit] External links

• Green's Campaign Website
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Associated Press profile
• "Golden Boy" from Milwaukee Magazine, October 2005
• Dodd puts hold on Mark Green's nomination for US ambassador to Tanzania

[edit] Electoral history