Congressman Al Green speaks on May 17th, 2017.
Congressman Al Green, the U.S. Representative from Texas and member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), is preparing articles of impeachment for sitting President Donald Trump. According to The Hill, Green’s actions “highlights the growing apprehension many Democrats have towards the president, and it’s sure to energize a liberal base that’s sounded the impeachment alarm with increasing volume.”
Green has not been the only one calling for Trump’s impeachment, but the announcement that he is preparing articles is noteworthy, as it will be the first time anyone has taken official steps since Bill Clinton’s administration in the 1990s. The Hill also reports that Green will provide more details on Wednesday afternoon, when he has scheduled a press briefing.
In the meantime, read on to learn about Green, his political career, and his relationship with President Trump.
1. He Began His Career As A Lawyer
Al Green was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 1st, 1947. He attended Florida A&M University in 1971, before moving onto to the Tuskegee Institute of Technology. He did not graduate from either college, but he would later earn his law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1973. The following year, Green co-founded and co-managed the law firm of Green, Dewberry, and Fitch.
Though he would settle down in Texas, a state he still calls home, Green quickly moved on from his law career and was elected justice of the peace in Harris County in 1977. According to his personal website, he served this position for 26 years before retiring in 2004. “Throughout his career,” the site’s biography section adds, “Congressman Al Green has enjoyed the respect of his colleagues as well as a wide cross-section of community leaders, who have praised his legal skills, impeccable character, and ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds.”
2. He Is An Advocate for Civil Rights
Green has been an advocate for Civil Rights throughout his career. After he received his degree from Texas Southern University, he joined the Houston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and would go on to serve as the branch’s president during the 1980s and 90s. His presidency led to increased awareness in the Houston area, expanding the branch in terms of staff and members, the latter growing from 500 to 3,500 by the time he stepped down.
According to his bio on the website The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed, Green started an organization called the Houston Fair Share Program, which was meant to encourage corporations to “join with minority firms in joint ventures.” He also co-founded the Black and Brown Coalition alongside Judge Armando Rodriguez. The coalition was created to bring the African American and Hispanic communities living in Houston together through common interests.
3. He Was Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives In 2004
On #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay, I’m lighting my office blue in support of our nation’s law enforcement officers.
After retiring as justice of the peace, Green was convinced to enter the Democratic Primary for the 9th District of Texas in 2004. His opponent, Chris Bell, suffered in the polls as the result of the 2003 Texas redistricting, which . In the March 9th primary, Green, who appealed to the large number of African Americans Hispanics who made up the new district, won 66% of the vote to Bell’s 31%. He has reelected each time out, often times running unopposed. On January 3, 2017, Green took the oath of office to serve the people of Texas’ 9th Congressional District for his seventh term.
Green currently serves on the Financial Services Committee under three subcommittees: Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Monetary Policy and Trade, as well as Oversight and Investigations, where he holds the position of Ranking Member. In the Democratic Party, he holds the position of Assistant Whip.
4. He Called for Trump’s Impeachment On May 17th
Green caught attention on May 17th when he called upon the House of Representatives to impeach President Trump. During the house’s five-minute speech portion, Green took the podium to cite Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey and Trump’s statement that he did so in consideration to Comey’s investigation into Trump’s relationship with Russia. You can watch the full speech above.
“I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to call for the impeachment of the President of the United States of America for obstruction of justice. I do not do this for political purposes, Mr. Speaker. I do this because I believe in the great ideals that this country stands for– liberty and justice for all, the notion that we should have government of the people, by the people, for the people. I do it because, Mr. Speaker, there is a belief in this country that no one is above the law, and that includes the President of the United States of America.”
“The facts are simple and indisputable,” Green added this past Tuesday, “The President fired the FBI Director because the Director was investigating the President’s campaign connections to Russian interference in the Presidential Election. This is obstruction of justice.”
5. Trump Supporters Have Threatened Green’s Life
Houston — If your available today come to my impeachment town hall meeting. #ITN
Less than a week after Green called for Trump’s impeachment, he attended a town hall meeting in Texas to play a series of recorded phone calls. The majority of these were of a threatening nature, particularly in connection to Green’s comments about Trump. He played the phone calls for the town hall crowd, among which included threats to lynch him unless he drop his plans for impeachment. “You ain’t going to impeach nobody. Try it and we will lynch you,” said one caller, “You’ll be hanging from a tree.” You can watch a video recording of these threats here.
According to the Chron, several of these callers used graphic language and racial slurs when addressing Green. Some even took to calling him the n-word. “You are so disgusting,” another caller claimed, “You’re scum. You’re pathetic.” According to Roll Call, Green remains undeterred by these threats: “It’s a position of conscience for me. This is what I believe. And this is where I stand. I will not be moved…. I want to assure you that no amount of threats and intimidation will stop what I have started, I promise you.”
