Speaker Nancy Pelosi just announced that the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, but as we’ve noted, it’s certainly not the first time members of Congress have announced their intention to file articles of impeachment.

As we said in a recent post, we’ve been following Rep. Al Green, who has called for Trump to be impeached for saying he wished NFL owners would fire players who took a knee during the anthem and for retweeting “anti-Muslim” videos from Britain First. By our count, he most recently filed articles of impeachment accusing the president of racism in July of this year.

According to Buzzfeed, who talked to Green, he first filed articles of impeachment in May 2017, four months into Trump’s first term, and followed that up with another attempt in December. But now he says he feels vindicated.

"I'm Being Vindicated" : Al Green Was The First Member Of Congress To Back Impeachment https://t.co/sVojeTq1tq via @darrensands — Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) September 24, 2019

Darren Sands reports:

“I felt then as I feel now that I’m being vindicated. I said that I would be vindicated and I am being vindicated — the truth has been vindicated,” Green, the eight-term Democrat, told BuzzFeed News in an interview. “I felt compelled because for me it was about more than making a speech. It was about taking a stand that would be based on principle, not politics.” … “I rise today Mr. Speaker to call for the impeachment of the United States of America for obstruction of justice,” he first said in May of 2017. All told, Green brought motions to move forward with articles of impeachment three separate times, each garnering more support inside the caucus than the last.

So are we framing this as a victory for Green after a long and hard-fought battle?

Yes you guys should definitely put this guy out front. Good play. https://t.co/Tbkmj6VMem — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 24, 2019

LOL, sure thing Al. — Its a dogs life ?? ? energy (@seniordogzrule) September 24, 2019

Maxine Waters has been a pretty vocal supporter of impeachment. Put her and Green on every tv show. Do it. — Cosmo Kramer (@Classless_Cam) September 24, 2019

Al also said “if we don’t impeach, he will win”… Will you be including that in your next article? Other news outlets did. https://t.co/ZKNUCW9ty4 — Alex P Keaton (@I_Hate_Hippies) September 24, 2019

Fox News reports that Green also said last month that it was important to impeach Trump because simply defeating him in an election would be a “disservice” to history:

Last month, Green blasted the president, calling him “unfit” and “unworthy” to serve as commander-in-chief. “To defeat him at the polls would do history a disservice, would do our nation a disservice, and would not allow us to do what they did in 1868 when Andrew Johnson, who was the bigot of his time, who was impeached by the radical Republicans,” Green said. “We can’t let him walk the Earth without that stain… He’s caused harm to society. We need to do something about it.” Green also expressed his concern earlier this year that Trump would be reelected if Congress didn’t impeach him.

Funny that Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally cracked and announced a formal impeachment inquiry just as frontrunner Joe Biden dipped below Elizabeth Warren in the polls.

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