(The Hill) — Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, filed an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, accusing the president of failing to notify or seek authorization from Congress before the U.S. launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
The resolution alleges “abuse of presidential powers by disregarding the separation of powers—devolving American democracy into authoritarianism by unconstitutionally usurping Congress’s power to declare war.”
“President Trump’s unilateral, unprovoked use of force without congressional authorization or notice constitutes an abuse of power when there was no imminent threat to the United States, which facilitates the devolution of American democracy into authoritarianism,” Green wrote.
Congress has the sole power to “declare war,” under the Article I of the U.S. Constitution. Presidents of both parties have struck adversaries without approval from the legislature.
Green’s resolution labels Trump “an authoritarian president” and “a threat to American democracy.” The Texas Democrat also pointed to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a controversial immigration agenda and his attacks on federal judges in his push for impeachment.
Trump, despite the U.S. strikes near Tehran, has adamantly said his administration is not seeking a protracted war. He has called on both sides to take meaningful steps toward peace and pressured Iran to agree to dismantle its nuclear program.
The president on Monday announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between the Middle Eastern nations in the 12-day conflict.
Israel accused Iran of violating the temporary truce and vowed to retaliate. On Tuesday, Trump said the Israeli military had agreed not to attack Tehran and the ceasefire remains intact.
The U.S. strikes have exposed divisions in both parties, as a majority of the GOP and some Democrats have praised the decisive action. Many lawmakers have also taken issue with Trump’s failure to seek congressional authorization, and a couple of Democrats have said his move is grounds for impeachment.
Green has been one of Trump’s fiercest critics on Capitol Hill, having introduced impeachment articles against the president numerous times, most recently last month. He was also censured after heckling the president during his address before a joint session of Congress earlier this year.
“I did not come to Congress to be a bystander while a president abuses power and devolves American democracy into authoritarianism with himself as an authoritarian president. President Trump’s unauthorized bombing of Iran constitutes a de facto declaration of war,” Green wrote in his Tuesday statement. “No president has the right to drag this nation into war without the authorization of the people’s representatives.”
“His authoritarian actions are a warning sign we cannot ignore, making him a threat to American democracy; we must uphold and protect our Constitution from being dismantled by an authoritarian president who seeks unchecked power,” he added.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
