By CaraLynn Caulfield
Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R–Patchogue) has been selected as the next chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, becoming the seventh lawmaker to lead the panel since its creation in the wake of 9/11.
Garbarino, who has served on the committee since entering Congress in 2021, previously chaired the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection during the 118th Congress, following a term as its ranking member.
“I am honored to have earned the trust and confidence of my colleagues to lead the House Committee on Homeland Security,” Garbarino said in a statement. “As a lifelong New Yorker and representative of a district shaped by 9/11, I understand the stakes of this responsibility. ‘Never forget’ is more than a slogan. It is a commitment I have carried with me throughout my entire adult life and one that will continue to drive my work as Chairman.”
He will succeed former Representative Mark Green (R–Tenn.), who formally resigned from Congress on July 21. Green had chaired the committee since 2023 and stepped down for what he described as an “opportunity in the private sector,” in a June 9 statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. His resignation was delayed until after the passage of former President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a wide-ranging tax cut and spending package.
Garbarino emerged as the top choice for the role after a competitive race that included Representatives Michael Guest (R–Miss.), Carlos Gimenez (R–Fla.), and Clay Higgins (R–La.). House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–La.) had described the process as “quite a horse race,” noting that each candidate was “highly qualified.”
As chair, Garbarino said his priorities will include securing the border, confronting terrorism, strengthening cybersecurity, and hardening national defenses.
“We have serious work ahead of us,” he said. “[These] are all critical to keeping Americans safe. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee to take on these challenges and deliver on the mission the American people expect us to carry out.”