Rep. Al Green is not mincing words when it comes to Donald Trump and his racist attacks on members of Congress. The Texas Democrat announced he'll be forcing a vote on impeachment articles for the third time by next week.
"The president of the United States is a racist, a bigot, a misogynist, as well as an invidious prevaricator," the ever-eloquent Green said in announcing he'd force this vote. "To say that Donald John Trump is unfit for the office of the president of the United States is an understatement."
Green forced votes on articles of impeachment twice previously, when the House was under Republican control in 2017 and 2018. Green got about 60 colleagues for both of those votes, and seeing how many he garners this time will be a good temperature-taker for the House Democratic caucus. As of now, there are around 80 members who have called for impeachment. That could change following his direct, racist attacks on four of their own.
That said, 218 is still going to be a reach and Pelosi, who is trying to get a budget and debt ceiling package through before they leave on August recess, is going to resist hard. The rank and file could turn that to their advantage, if they were organized enough and willing to stand up for their colleagues against Trump. They could bargain their votes for the budget plan for her authorizing impeachment hearings and possibly get Green to back down on having this vote. If they were organized enough.