Rep. Al Green says he will force a floor vote to remove President Trump from office by Christmas.
“I now announce that before Christmas, there will be a vote on the chief inciter of racism, bigotry, hatred, xenophobia, sexism, ethnocentrism. There will be a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on the impeachment of the president,” Green said in a speech on the House floor.
The Democrat from Texas introduced articles of impeachment in October but did not force a vote then, saying he wanted to give the public time to consider them. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have dismissed talk of a Trump impeachment as premature before special counsel Robert Mueller finishes his investigation.
The articles of impeachment Green introduced say that Trump has “undermined the integrity of his office” and “brought disrepute on the presidency” with “a demonstrable record of inciting white supremacy, sexism, bigotry, hatred, xenophobia, race-baiting, and racism” that is “fueling an alt-right hate machine and its worldwide covert sympathizers” and “causing immediate injury to American society.”
In the legislation, Green listed a number of Trump’s falsehoods and racially charged statements, including comments that “son of a bitch” NFL players should be removed for kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police brutality; his defense of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia; and his repeated false claims that millions of immigrants voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election and President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.
How are the Trump impeachment odds?
With the House remaining under Republican control, any floor vote to impeach Trump would be symbolic. Republicans would likely move to table the resolution, triggering a procedural vote that Democrats do not have enough votes to advance.
Green has acknowledged that he may face political consequences for his action. “Whatever others will do is their choice. My conscience dictates that I will vote to impeach. Let others do what they may. History will judge us all,” he said.
