U.S. Representative Al Green (D-Houston) on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, citing the President’s recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites without congressional approval. The resolution, H.Res 537, accused President Trump of “abuse of presidential powers by disregarding the separation of powers” and “unconstitutionally usurping Congress’s power to declare war.”
However, the House swiftly voted to set aside the impeachment effort, with a bipartisan tally of 344-79. Most Democrats joined the Republican majority in tabling the measure, indicating a reluctance within Congress to pursue impeachment at this time, despite the concerns raised by some members.
Rep. Green, a long-standing critic of President Trump, articulated his rationale on the House floor, stating, “I take no delight in what I’m doing. I do this because I love my country. I do it because I understand that the Constitution is going to be meaningful or it will be meaningless.” He emphasized that no single person should have the power to lead the nation into war without consulting Congress, warning against the “devolving American democracy into an authoritarian government.” This marks Green’s second attempt to impeach President Trump during his second term, following previous efforts and a censure in March for disrupting a presidential address (Click2Houston, FOX 26 Houston).
The impeachment articles were filed in the wake of President Trump’s decision to order airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. These strikes followed more than a week of attacks by Israel on Iran, which began on June 13. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi reported “very significant” damage to the facilities. The conflict has been deadly, with Iran’s health ministry reporting at least 606 fatalities since June 13, including 107 on Monday alone (The New Republic).
President Trump, who had announced a successful ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Monday evening, faced criticism for his unilateral action. He insisted that Iran was not focused on nuclear weapons and would become a “great trading nation.” The President’s actions quickly sparked debate in Congress over the extent of presidential authority in launching military strikes without explicit congressional approval, particularly concerning the War Powers Act.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) publicly supported the call for impeachment, stating on X that the President’s decision was “a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers” and “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.” Her comments drew a strong, profanity-laced rebuke from President Trump on Truth Social, where he disparaged her and other progressive women of color in Congress (The New Republic).
The debate over presidential war powers extends beyond this incident. A bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced by Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, aiming to hold the President accountable. Critics point out that former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden also conducted military actions without explicit congressional approval, raising questions about the consistency of impeachment calls on these grounds (The New Republic).
Despite the swift tabling of Green’s resolution, the effort underscores the ongoing tension between the executive and legislative branches regarding foreign policy and the constitutional separation of powers. House Democratic leadership, while not directly criticizing Green, indicated their focus remained on other legislative priorities, such as a major tax breaks package, rather than impeachment (Newsday).
