Democratic Rep. Al Green to call for Trump impeachment on House floor

“Today on the floor of the Congress of the United States of America, I will call for the Impeachment of the President between 9am & 10am CST,” Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said on Twitter.

Addressing the House floor, Green said, “I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to call for the impeachment of the president of the United States of America for the obstruction of justice. … I do not do this for political purposes … I do this because I believe in the great ideals that this country stands for: liberty and justice for all.”

Green said, “Mr. Speaker, our democracy is at risk. … we cannot allow this to go unchecked.”

The congressman said Trump fired FBI Director James Comey because he was investigating Trump for his ties with Russian involvement in the 2016 election. It is not because the federal agency was investigating someone else, but as it was investigating the president himself, Green said.

Green, in an interview with ThinkProgress, said Trump has done enough to warrant an impeachment. “The president is not only intimidating the former FBI director, but any other person that might become FBI director and persons who are working on this case,” he said.

“He is demonstrating that he has the power to dismiss people summarily, with impunity, unless he’s impeached,” he said. Green feels that impeachment proceedings are necessary to show that “Trump is not above the law.”

In a statement Monday, Green said, “He has committed an impeachable act and must be charged. To do otherwise would cause some Americans to lose respect for, and obedience to, our societal norms.”

“President Trump has committed an act for which he should be charged by the U.S. House of Representatives. The act is the obstruction of a lawful investigation of the President’s campaign ties to Russian influence in his 2016 Presidential Election.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, suggested Tuesday that Trump is inching closer toward an impeachment, after news broke that the president asked Comey to end his investigation of former national security adviser Mike Flynn. “Reluctantly, Wolf, I have to say yes, simply because obstruction of justice is such a serious offense.

“I say it with sadness and reluctance. … This is not something I advocated for and the word has not passed my lips in this tumultuous three, four months,” King said.

In the past, several Democratic lawmakers have discussed the possibility of Trump’s impeachment. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said she was ready to impeach Trump on his 61st day since taking office. “Get ready for impeachment,” Waters tweeted.

On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., warned Democrats not to rush to impeach Trump, as it would be a “wrenching experience” for the U.S.

“What was the president’s intent of doing this?” he asked. “Was he trying to shut down a legitimate prosecution? Was he doing it because ultimately he was worried the trail might lead back to him?” need to be answered before going down the path of impeachment if the “proof turns out to be there.”

On Tuesday night, the New York Times reported a memo from Comey suggests that Trump asked the former FBI director to let go of the bureau’s investigation into former national security adviser Mike Flynn. “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” Trump said. “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go,” he said, according to the Comey memo written in February a day after Flynn was fired.

On Monday, the Washington Post reported Trump revealed classified intelligence to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak, during a White House meeting last week.

The White House initially denied Trump revealed any classified information. But Trump tweeted Tuesday, “As [resident I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.”