Al Green (politician)

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Al Green
Official portrait, 2012
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Chris Bell (Redistricting)
Personal details
Born	(1947-09-01) September 1, 1947 (age 77) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Florida A&M University Howard University Tuskegee Institute Texas Southern University (JD)[1]
Signature
Website	House website
Al Green's voice Al Green speaks on Slavery Remembrance Day Recorded September 28, 2022

Alexander N. Green^[2] (born September 1, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Texas's 9th congressional district. He has served in Congress since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, Green served as the justice of the peace of Harris County, Texas from 1977 to 2004.

Green was born on September 1, 1947 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Florida A&M University, Howard University, and Tuskegee Institute, but did not receive an undergraduate degree from any of these institutions. Despite this, Green went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree in 1973 from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.^[3] He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.^[4]

In 1974, Green co-founded the law firm of Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch.^[3][1]

In 1977, Green was elected justice of the peace in Harris County, Texas. He held this position until 2004.^[5][1]

In 2004, following redistricting, Green defeated incumbent Rep. Chris Bell by 35 percentage points in a Democratic primary in Texas' 9th congressional district. Green received the support of Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Maxine Waters.^[6] Green then won the 2024 general election.^[7] As of 2025, Green has been re-elected a total of 10 times.^[5]

In Congress, Green has focused on issues such as fair housing and fair hiring practices for the poor and minorities.^[8]

After the 2012 election, Green held a press conference in Houston at 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.^[9]

Green has supported the Federal Reserve's program of quantitative easing and claims it has led to economic recovery since the financial crisis of 2007–2008.^[10]

On May 17, 2017, Green presented articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, citing Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey. Immediately after his speech, he shelved the document without calling for a vote, but continued to call for impeachment.^[11] 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.^[12][13][14] On July 17 the House voted to table the resolution, effectively killing it. The vote was 332–95, with 95 Democrats (40%) voting in favor of the resolution and all Republicans against it.^[15]

During the House Financial Services Committee hearing on April 10, 2019, at which the CEOs of all the major banks and investment institutions of the United States were sworn to testify, Green presented several questions that were regarded as controversial. He began by asking why all the executives were white men, then asked whether they hypothetically saw themselves succeeded in the future by men of color or women, repeatedly asking them to raise and lower their hands. Green then asked J. P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon whether the institution he chaired had profited from slavery, to which Dimon responded that it had taken place more than two centuries ago.^[16]

On February 6, 2024, he left a hospital for a short time to vote from a wheelchair against the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas which prevented its success when the Republican Party assumed that he would not be able to attend.^[17][18][19]

On March 4, 2025, during Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, Green was escorted out of the House Chamber by the sergeant-at-arms, following a request by Speaker Mike Johnson to restore order, after Green repeatedly interrupted Trump during the address.^[20]

• 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

• Congressional Black Caucus^[21]
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus^[22]
• 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^[23]
• Afterschool Caucuses^[24]
• U.S.-Japan Caucus^[25]
• Congressional Pakistan Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus

Green has expressed strong liberal views on social issues.

Green is pro-choice, and consistently votes against restrictions on abortion. On October 13, 2011, he voted against an amendment to the Affordable Care Act, which prevented insurance programs created by the Act from covering abortions.^[26] He has voted against eight other bills proposed in the House that would if enacted prevent the federal government from covering the cost of abortions.^[27]

Green also supports gun control. He 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.^[28]

On budget issues, Green follows his party's views. He 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.^[26] He also voted for Obama's bailout of the Auto Industry in 2009.^[26] On December 10, 2008, he 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."^[29]

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." He 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."^[30]

On December 6, 2017, Green denounced Trump for "casting contempt on transgender individuals, inciting hate and hostility, and sowing discord among the people of the United States on the basis of gender."^[31] Green is a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. On February 25, 2021, Green gave an impassioned speech on the floor of the House in support of the Equality Act, comparing the use of religion to support homophobia by representatives opposed to the bill to the use of religion to support racist policies, saying, "You used God to enslave my foreparents. You used God to segregate me in schools. You used God to put me in the back of the bus. Have you no shame?"^[32]

On October 25, 2023, Green and eight other Democrats (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Andre Carson, Summer Lee, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez, and Rashida Tlaib), along with Republican Thomas Massie, voted against congressional bi-partisan non-binding resolution H. Res. 771 supporting Israel in the wake of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The resolution stated that the House of Representatives: "stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists" and "reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel's security"; the resolution passed by an overwhelming 412-10-6 margin.^[33][34]

In 2008, former staffer Lucinda Daniels accused Green of sexual assault. 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 too. The Hill reported that a spokesman for Green said the two had had a "romantic encounter" in 2007, but that the allegations of sexual harassment were untrue.^[35] In 2017, at a time when several other congressmen were facing accusations of sexual misconduct, Green and Daniels released a joint statement saying that both regretted having "hastily made allegations and charges against one another that have been absolutely resolved". The statement added that the two were "friends".^[36]

Green underwent intestinal surgery in 2024.^[39]

• List of African-American United States representatives

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al Green.

Wikisource has original works by or about:
Al Green

• Congressman Al Green official U.S. House website
• Al Green for Congress

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN