Democratic Representative Al Green from Texas is pushing a House vote in his ninth attempt to impeach President Donald Trump since 2017. Green has been at the forefront of six of these impeachment endeavors.
Green, who lost his primary in May and will exit Congress next year, introduced H.Res. 1486 on August 24. The resolution charges Trump with abusing presidential powers by enabling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to function without accountability. It refers to the deaths of four individuals this year: Renée Good and Alex Pretti, killed in Minneapolis in January; Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, killed in Houston in July; and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, killed in Maine.
On Monday, Green informed fellow members of Congress that he would bring the resolution to the floor, invoking Rule IX that concerns privileges of the House. This mandates action within two legislative days, triggering a vote before the chamber’s Thursday adjournment.
Green wrote to Trump, saying, “Please accept this letter as a professional courtesy to inform you that I will call for a recorded vote on the floor of the House of Representatives on H.Res. 1486.” He accused federal immigration officers of unjustified killings, asserting that Trump was “condoning, supporting, and covering up” these actions.
As of Monday, congressional records indicated no other Congress member had co-sponsored the resolution.
House Democratic leaders have yet to endorse the resolution. Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House Minority Leader, repeatedly avoided commitments on whether Democrats would pursue impeachment, instead focusing on cost-of-living issues. Jeffries remained noncommittal when asked about potential impeachment actions if Democrats win the House majority in November.
The White House, through spokeswoman Lauren Bis, criticized the resolution. “This type of garbage is contributing to our law enforcement officers facing a more than 1,300 percent increase in assaults,” Bis said to Newsweek, defending ICE and CBP officers as risking their lives against serious criminals.
Newsweek contacted Green’s and Jeffries’ offices for comments on Monday.
Previous Impeachment Efforts
Here’s a list of Green’s earlier impeachment endeavors and their voting outcomes:
- December 2017: Green filed his initial impeachment resolution against Trump. The House tabled it, but 58 Democrats voted against this move.
- January 2018: Following Trump’s derogatory remarks about immigrants from Haiti and African nations, Green filed H.Res.705. The House voted 355-66 to table it, resulting in 121 Democrats siding with 234 Republicans.
- July 2019: Green filed H.Res.498 in response to Trump’s comments about four Democratic congresswomen of color. The House voted 332-95 to table it, with Representative Peter DeFazio the only member voting present.
- December 2019: The House Judiciary Committee led Trump’s first successful impeachment, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in relation to Ukraine dealings. The Senate acquitted him in February 2020.
- January 2021: Following the Capitol attack, the House impeached Trump a second time on incitement of insurrection charges. The Senate voted 57-43 for conviction but fell short of the required two-thirds threshold.
- April-May 2025: Representative Shri Thanedar submitted seven impeachment articles against Trump, with Green co-sponsoring. Thanedar eventually withdrew his motion after pressure from other Democratic members.
- June 2025: Green forced a vote on a single article accusing Trump of abuse of power regarding Iran strikes. The House tabled the article by a 344-79 vote.
- December 2025: Green filed H.Res.939, citing Trump’s reaction to a video of Democratic lawmakers addressing military orders. The resolution was tabled, with key Democrats abstaining from the vote.
Future Impeachment Prospects
Trump, historically impeached twice, faces the possibility of another impeachment if Democrats seize both congressional chambers. He has warned of renewed impeachment proceedings if Republicans lose the midterms.
Impeachment in the House demands a straightforward majority, a challenge given the current Republican control. Recent polling suggests Democratic advantages, yet flipping the Senate would require overcoming tight margins.
Even a Democratic Senate majority wouldn’t guarantee Trump’s removal, necessitating a two-thirds vote post-impeachment trial. Former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross expressed confidence that Democrats, if victorious, would pursue impeachment if they secure the House.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, a leader in previous impeachment efforts, remarked that impeachment alone doesn’t address all concerns surrounding Trump.
In White House polling responses, spokesman Davis Ingle stated: “The ultimate poll was November 5th, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.”