Al Green (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Green
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 Tuskegee University (BA) Texas Southern University (JD)

Alexander N. Green (born September 1, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician. He serves as a U.S. representative for Texas's 9th congressional district. He has held this role since 2005. Before that, he was a justice of the peace in Harris County, Texas, from 1977 to 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district covers parts of southwestern Houston and Fort Bend County. This includes most of Missouri City and parts of Pearland.

Early Life and Education

Al Green was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He went to Florida A&M University and Tuskegee University. In 1974, he earned a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. This school is part of Texas Southern University. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

After finishing law school, Green helped start a law firm. It was called Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch. He has lived in Houston for a long time. His home is in the Alief community.

In 1978, Green was elected as a justice of the peace in Harris County, Texas. A justice of the peace handles minor legal cases. He held this job for 26 years. He retired from this position in 2004. In 1981, Green also ran for mayor of Houston.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Becoming a Representative

In 2004, Al Green decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He ran in the Democratic primary for the 9th congressional district. This district had been changed in 2003. The changes made it more likely for a Black or Latino Democrat to win. Green won the primary election. He then won the main election against the Republican candidate.

Since then, Green has been reelected many times. In some elections, he ran without anyone opposing him. His district is known for strongly supporting Democratic candidates.

Key Work in Congress

In Congress, Al Green works on important issues. He focuses on making sure everyone has fair housing. He also works on fair hiring practices. These efforts help people who are poor or from minority groups.

After the 2012 election, Green talked about the need for Congress to work together. He wanted them to improve the national budget. He also suggested a plan to invest in roads and buildings across the country. This plan aimed to create jobs and help the economy.

Green has supported the Federal Reserve's efforts to help the economy. He believes these actions have helped the country recover. This recovery followed the financial crisis of 2007–2008.

Congressman Al Green meets with Derrick L. Foward, President of the Dayton NAACP, in 2017.

In 2017, Green took a big step. He suggested that President Donald Trump should be removed from office. He said this was because Trump had fired the FBI Director. He continued to call for this action. In 2019, he again suggested removing President Trump. This time, he pointed to Trump's comments about some Democratic congresswomen. The House of Representatives voted on this idea, but it did not pass.

In 2019, Green questioned leaders of major banks. He asked why all the top executives were white men. He also asked if their banks had benefited from slavery a long time ago.

In February 2024, Green left the hospital briefly. He went to vote against removing Alejandro Mayorkas from his position. He voted from a wheelchair. His vote helped prevent the removal from happening.

Committee Roles and Groups

Al Green serves on the Committee on Financial Services. This committee deals with money and banking. He also leads a part of this committee. It is called the United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

He is also part of many groups in Congress. These groups are called caucuses. They focus on different topics. Some of the groups he belongs to include:

• Congressional Black Caucus
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Congressional Urban Caucus
• Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus
• Congressional Children's Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus

Political Views

Al Green holds strong liberal views on social issues.

He supports gun control. After the Trayvon Martin shooting, he asked people to trust the justice system. He wanted the courts to handle the case. Groups that support gun control have given him high ratings.

On money matters, Green usually agrees with his party. He supported budget plans during President Obama's time in office. He voted against budget plans that cut government spending during President Bush's time. He also supported the government's help for the auto industry in 2009. He said this help was about "bailing out people" who might lose their jobs.

Green is part of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. He believes Pakistan should remain an ally to the U.S. He spoke out after the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He called it a "dastardly effort to circumvent the democratic process." He urged Pakistan to continue working towards democracy.

In 2017, Green spoke out against President Trump's comments about transgender people. He said these comments caused hate. Green is a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. In 2021, he gave a powerful speech supporting the Equality Act. This act aims to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. He compared using religion to oppose the bill to using religion to support racism in the past.

Electoral History

See Also

• List of African-American United States representatives