Who is Rep. Mark Green? Doctor, Army veteran, Tennessee Republican who raised vaccine-autism link
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Congressman Mark Green at an event December said he believed vaccines may be causing autism, questioning data from the Centers for Disease Control and other institutions that disprove the theory.
So just who is Green?
Political background
Green, 53, was first elected to the Tennessee Senate in 2012.
He is a Republican and current congressman-elect from Clarksville. He serves as Senate Commerce Committee vice chairman and Senate GOP Caucus chaplain.
In November, Green won the seat previously held by Republican Marsha Blackburn, who won election to the U.S. Senate.
He will be sworn in Jan. 3 as a freshman in the U.S. House of Representatives.
More:Mark Green will push to protect Gold Star spouses in government shutdowns
Medical background
Green is a physician whose education includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Quantitative (Economics) from the University of Southern California. He also graduated from Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. His residency in emergency medicine was at the U.S. Army Aviation Center: Aerospace Medicine.
Prior to running for office he ran a health care company and previously worked as an Army resident physician, an Army chief resident, an Army Special Operations flight surgeon and an Army chief at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (among others).
He founded AlignMD, an emergency room management firm, in 2009. It was acquired by American Physician Partners in 2016 as part of a $24 million deal.
Green also founded the Two Rivers Medical Foundation, which operates two free medical clinics, and serves on the board of two nonprofit organizations that care for soldiers and their families as they return from war.
Military background
Green attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and is a former officer in the United States Army. He was deployed three times overseas during his military service.
Green was an Army medic for a special operations team that captured Saddam Hussein and wrote a book about the experience called "A Night with Saddam: A special ops flight surgeon's interview with Saddam Hussein on the night of his capture, and the missions which led to their meeting."
As a flight surgeon, he provided aviation and general medical service for Army aviation personnel.
From 1987–1990, he served as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader, and battalion personnel officer in the 194th Separate Armor Brigade, and from 1990–1992 as a supply officer and an airborne rifle company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division.
His military awards include the Bronze Star, The Air Medal, The Air Medal with “V” device for valor under heavy enemy fire, and numerous other medals for service.
Comments on vaccinating children
At a town hall meeting Tuesday in Franklin, Green said he would "stand against" what he believes may be the CDC withholding information on vaccine research.
"I have committed to people in my community, up in Montgomery County, to stand on the CDC’s desk and get the real data on vaccines. Because there is some concern that the rise in autism is the result of the preservatives that are in our vaccines," he said.
Green later said he was referring to discussions in the House in recent years, including a concern raised in 2015 by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Florida, that the CDC covered up a possible link between autism and childhood vaccines.
More:Rep. Mark Green, after vaccination-autism comments, says he vaccinated his own kids
Comments on Muslims, LGBT people
Green has previously come under fire for other controversial comments, including remarks that cost him a job as President Donald Trump's Army secretary.
He withdrew his nomination for the post last year amid criticism over statements he made about gays, lesbians, transgender people and Muslims.
“If you poll the psychiatrists, they're going to tell you transgender is a disease," Green said at a Chattanooga Tea Party event in 2016.
Critics at the time pointed to Green’s sponsorship of a bill that would allow mental health providers to refuse to treat LGBT patients. He also supported legislation to prevent transgender high school and college students from using public bathroom facilities.
At the same event, Green also said he didn't believe students should learn about Muslim beliefs and religious practices, and claimed erroneously that Muslims don’t believe Jesus “was born from a virgin.”
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Natalie Allison contributed to this report.
Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.