Mark Meadows to resign seat in Congress "toward the end of the month"
North Carolina Republican Mark Meadows plans to resign his seat in the House of Representatives before the start of April as he becomes President Trump's fourth chief of staff, he said Tuesday.
Meadows told reporters on Capitol Hill he would be stepping down "toward the end of the month." The GOP congressman, who represents North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, has been spotted at the White House on numerous occasions as he transitions into his new role as White House chief of staff and was on Capitol Hill with administration officials this week negotiating with lawmakers on a massive stimulus package to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
His chief of staff, Ben Williamson, confirmed Meadows would move to the White House full-time in the coming days.
"Folks, RE: these Article I questions: Mark Meadows is not serving in two jobs. He is still a member of Congress. Mick Mulvaney is still the acting chief of staff. Meadows will resign from Congress toward the end of the month and move to the White House full-time," he tweeted.
Meadows is set to officially replace Mick Mulvaney in the role April 1, according to Axios. Mulvaney, a former congressman from South Carolina who served in an "acting" capacity, will become the U.S. special envoy for Northern Ireland. Mr. Trump's former chiefs of staff also include retired Marine Corps General John Kelly and former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who is now a political analyst for CBS News.
Mr. Trump announced earlier this month he had selected Meadows, one of his top allies in Congress, as his chief of staff. The decision came months after Meadows said he would not seek reelection, though he did not specify at the time what he would be doing after leaving Capitol Hill.
Meadows will formally step into his new role as the president and his administration steer the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has roiled daily life in the U.S. and effectively brought the economy to a halt.
In addition to working with Congress on an economic stimulus package to assist American workers and businesses impacted by the deadly illness, the White House has also been working to ensure states have the resources they need and urging Americans to limit the spread of the illness.
Kimberly Brown contributed to this report