HOUSTON – Amid a rickety ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Houston Rep. Al Green announced he has filed a House resolution calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached.
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The longtime congressman delivered remarks on the House floor introducing new articles of impeachment, titled H.Res 537, calling out Trump for “bypassing Congress on war with Iran.”
FULL SPEECH BELOW:
The move comes after the president’s decision to directly involve the U.S. following more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran.
SEE ALSO: Presidents vs. Congress: Trump is only the latest to test the War Powers Act
It also quickly sparked debate in Congress over the president’s authority to launch the strikes, with Republicans praising Trump for decisive action even as many Democrats warned he should have sought congressional approval.
“H.Res. 537 addresses abuse of presidential powers by disregarding the separation of powers, devolving American democracy into an authoritarian government, usurping congressional power to declare war,” Green said on the House floor. “I take no delight in what I’m doing. I do this because I love my country. I do it because I understand that the Constitution is going to be meaningful or it will be meaningless."
This move by the Houston rep now marks the second time President Trump faces impeachment, but adds to Green’s continued denouncement. Back in March, Green was censured after shaking his walking cane at the president and shouting during Trump’s presidential address. Shortly after Green was removed, he told reporters it was worth it to make his point, even if he was punished.
MORE: Rep. Al Green’s response after being censured for disrupting Trump’s joint address to Congress
And a week before the formal articles of impeachment were announced, Green warned he would be making efforts to do so, calling Trump “unfit” and doubling down on those claims during his nearly 4-minute speech on the House floor.
“Are we going to go down and choose the path of democracy, or we allow ourselves to choose the low road of autocracy?" he asked in his conclusion. “I believe this country has come too far to allow a single person to declare war without conferring with the Congress of the United States of America. This is where I stand, this is what I will do, and I do it in the name of my country that I love dearly."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.