Al Green (politician)
Al Green (politician)
Al Green | |
---|---|
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Texas's9thdistrict | |
Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
Preceded by | Nick Lampson |
Personal details | |
Born | (1947-09-01)September 1, 1947 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Florida A&M University Tuskegee University (BA) Texas Southern University (JD) |
Website | algreen.house.gov [33] |
Alexander N. Green[1] (born September 1, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician. Green has served in Congress as the Representative for Texas's 9th congressional district since 2005. The 9th District includes most of southwestern Houston, part of Fort Bend County and most of Missouri City. Green is a member of the Democratic Party.
Green was an early supporter for the impeachment of Donald Trump, and has supported the House impeachment inquiry against him.
Al Green | |
---|---|
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Texas's9thdistrict | |
Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
Preceded by | Nick Lampson |
Personal details | |
Born | (1947-09-01)September 1, 1947 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Florida A&M University Tuskegee University (BA) Texas Southern University (JD) |
Website | algreen.house.gov [33] |
Early life and early career
Green was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Florida A&M University and Tuskegee University. He received a Juris Doctor degree, in 1974 from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[2]
After law school, Green co-founded the law firm of Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch. He remained in Houston and currently lives in the community of Alief.
In 1978, Green was elected justice of the peace in Harris County, Texas. He held this position for 26 years before retiring in 2004.[3]
He also served as president of the Houston NAACP. During his tenure, he increased Houston NAACP's membership by sevenfold. He focused his efforts on increasing minority hiring in Texas and forming alliances with Houston Hispanic groups.
Green ran for mayor of Houston in 1981, and finished fifth in the Democratic primary.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 2004, Green entered the Democratic primary for the 9th Congressional District. The 9th District had previously been the 25th Congressional District and was represented by Democrat Chris Bell. A 2003 Texas redistricting, placed Chris Bell's congressional seat in jeopardy Although the redistricted 25th District remained heavily Democratic, it had a significantly larger percentage of blacks and Latinos voters than the old 25th District. The old 25th District had been 65 percent white. The new 9th was 17 percent white, 37 percent black and 33 percent Latino. The redistricting left Bell, who is white, vulnerable to a primary challenge from a black or Latino Democrat. In the March 9 primary, Green beat Bell. Green won 66 percent of the vote to Bell's 31 percent. Green then defeated Republican nominee Annette Molina in the general election.
Green was reelected unopposed in 2006 and faced only a Libertarian opponent in 2008. The 9th District is heavily Democratic, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+29. The 9th District it is the most Democratic district in Houston. Hillary Clinton carried the 9th District in 2016 with 79.3 percent of the vote, her strongest showing in Texas.
Tenure
While in Congress, Green has focused on the same issues that he worked on while leading the Houston NAACP: fair housing and fair hiring practices for the poor and minorities.
After the 2012 election, Green held a press conference in Houston in which he emphasized the need for the lame duck Congress to work together to reform the national budget. He also announced a plan for infrastructure investments across the country intended to create jobs and unify the country and improve the economy[4]
Green has been a supporter of the Federal Reserve's program of quantitative easing and claims that it has led to economic recovery since the financial crisis of 2008.[5]
On May 17, 2017 Green presented articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, citing the president's firing of FBI Director James Comey. Immediately following his speech, Green shelved the document without calling for a vote. He has continued to call for impeachment.[6] He reintroduced articles of impeachment on July 16, 2019, citing Trump's attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color. As a privileged resolution, the House was required to vote on it.[7][8][9] On July 17 the House voted to table the resolution, effectively killing it. The vote was 332–95, with 95 Democrats (40%) voting against the resolution and four Republicans voting for it. [10]
Committee assignments
Committee on Financial Services United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Chair) United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
Caucuses
Congressional Black Caucus[11]
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus[12]
Congressional Maritime Caucus
Congressional Urban Caucus
Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus
Congressional Natural Gas Caucus
Congressional Ports Caucus
Congressional Science, Technology, Education and Math (STEM) Caucus
Congressional After School Caucus
Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus
Congressional Military Family Caucus
Congressional Children's Caucus
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
Congressional Arts Caucus[13]
Afterschool Caucuses[14]
U.S.-Japan Caucus[15]
Congressional Pakistan Caucus
Political positions
Green has expressed strong liberal views on social issues.
Green is pro-choice, and consistently votes against restrictions on abortion. On October 13, 2011, Green voted against an amendment to the Affordable Care Act, which prevented insurance programs created by the Act from covering abortions.[16] Green has voted against eight other bills proposed in the House that would if enacted prevent the federal government from covering the cost of abortions. Green has received a 100% ratings from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America, while receiving a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.[17]
Green also supports gun control. Green spoke out after the Trayvon Martin shooting, asking members of the African-American community to show faith in the justice system and let the courts do their job and convict George Zimmerman.[18] The National Rifle Association gave him a rating of 0%, Gun Owners of America rated him 25%, while the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave him a Lifetime Score of 83%.[17]
On budget issues, Green follows his party's views. Green has supported every budget bill proposed during President Obama's term. During President Bush's term, Green voted against all budget bills that cut government spending and cut taxes.[16] Green also voted for President Obama's bailout of the Auto Industry in 2009.[16] On December 10, 2008, Green wrote a statement supporting the auto bailout, saying, "The auto bailout is really about bailing out people, and the people of this country... I think that [how tax dollars are spent] is a legitimate concern for the American people, but I do think, with the proper strings attached, we can bail out the people...who may lose their jobs."[19]
Congressman Green is a member of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. He is a strong supporter of holding Pakistan as an ally in South Asia. After the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, which initially destabilized the country as riots erupted, Green issued a statement condemning the assassination as a "dastardly effort to circumvent the democratic process." Green announced his support of the US's continued alliance with Pakistan, and urged Pakistanis to continue their push towards true democracy, "knowing that freedom, justice, and democracy are difficult to achieve."[20]
Threats against Green
Sexual misconduct allegations
In 2008, former staffer Lucinda Daniels accused Green of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, including claims that Green discriminated against Daniels after she refused to continue to have sex with him. Daniels filed a lawsuit against Green and then withdrew it. Green filed a counter-lawsuit, alleging Daniels had threatened to sue Green for workplace discrimination if Green did not pay her money. Green subsequently withdrew his suit.[24] The Hill reported that a spokesman for Green had admitted the two had been engaged in "romantic encounter" in 2007, but maintained that the allegations of sexual harassment were untrue. In 2017, ten years after the allegations were made and withdrawn, Green released a joint statement with Daniels detailing their relationship at a time when several other congressmen were facing accusations of sexual misconduct.[25]
See also
List of African-American United States Representatives