On January 3, 2021, U.S. Congressman Al Green took the oath of office to serve the people of Texas’ 9th Congressional District and began his ninth term in the United States House of Representatives. As a veteran civil rights advocate, he has fought for those in society whose voices, too often, are not heard.

Congressman Al Green currently serves on the Financial Services Committee as well as the Committee on Homeland Security. On the Financial Services Committee, he serves on three subcommittees: Diversity and Inclusion; Housing, Community Development,  and Insurance;  as well as Oversight and Investigations, where he holds the position of Chair. On the Committee on Homeland Security, he serves on two subcommittees: Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recovery and Border Security, Facilitation, & Operations. 

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Congressman Al Green’s family taught him the importance of positive preparation through education and righteous resistance to overcome persistent injustice. He attended Florida A&M University, Howard University, and the Tuskegee Institute. Without receiving an undergraduate degree, he enrolled in the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 1973. As a law student, he earned awards in Federal Procedure and Conflicts.

After graduating from law school, Congressman Al Green co-founded and co-managed the law firm of Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch. In 1977, he was appointed Justice of the Peace in Harris County, Texas, where he served for 26 years before retiring in 2004.  Throughout his career, Congressman Al Green has enjoyed the respect of his colleagues as well as a wide cross-section of community leaders, who have praised his legal skills, impeccable character, and ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds.

For approximately ten years, Congressman Al Green served as president of the Houston Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Under his leadership, the organization grew to unprecedented heights, increasing membership from a few hundred to many thousands, and the staff from one to more than ten.

As a testament to his exceptional service to the community, and in recognition of his outstanding professional achievement as well as his superior leadership ability, Congressman Al Green has received numerous awards and accolades. Steadfast in his commitment to serving the communities he represents in Congress, he is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) as well as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Congressman Green holds memberships in several community organizations, including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.

As evidence of how truly blessed Congressman Al Green believes he is, when asked, “How are you?” he often responds, “Better than I deserve.”

Committees and Caucuses

I am honored to serve on the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Homeland Security.

The House Committee on Financial Services

The role of the Committee is to oversee the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking and housing industries. The Committee also oversees the work of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and other financial services regulators. I currently sit on the following subcommittees:

• Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Chairman

​​As Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I have the preeminent privilege of convening hearings that explore a range of relevant topics. Please see testimonies and live footage from some of these hearings below:

• "Financial Services and the LGBTQ+ Community: A Review of Discrimination in Lending and Housing" (Tuesday, October 29, 2019) - Testimonies and Archived Webcast

• "Examining Discrimination and Other Barriers to Consumer Credit, Homeownership, and Financial Inclusion in Texas" (Wednesday, September 4, 2019) - Testimonies and Archived Webcast

• Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance

The House Committee on Homeland Security

The role of the Committee is to provide Congressional oversight over the development of the Department of Homeland Security and the policies it enforces. I currently sit on the following subcommittees:

• Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recovery

• Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitaion, & Operations

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Founded in 1994, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, as well as members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

I serve as a member of this caucus to promote the interests of the constituents of the Ninth Congressional District of Texas, many of whom are from the AAPI community. I also serve on the Executive Board of CAPAC, and as the CAPAC Housing Taskforce Chair.

The Congressional Black Caucus

Founded in 1971, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is committed to producing tangible results in suffering communities through legislation that creates jobs, fosters minority business opportunities, and builds a stronger foundation for the future.

I serve as a member of this caucus to promote the interests of the constituents of the Ninth Congressional District of Texas, many of whom are African American.

Member Profile

In 2004, Al Green won election to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Houston area Ninth District. Rep. Green, a son of the segregated south, born in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 1, 1947, has devoted his life to the elimination of all forms of invidious discrimination and the rectification of America’s seminal sin: slavery. His mother, a maid, and father, a mechanic’s helper, emphasized the importance of an education. Without acquiring an undergraduate degree, he earned his law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1974.

Upon graduating from law school, Green cofounded the law firm, Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch. In 1977, he was appointed justice of the peace in Harris County, Texas, and served until retiring in 2004. For nearly 10 years, Green served as president of the Houston branch of the NAACP. Under his leadership, the organization grew from 500 members to 3,500, expanded its budget, and acquired property to serve as its headquarters. He stepped down as president in 1995. 

In 2004, Green, who considers himself a liberated democrat, “unbought, unbossed and unafraid,” entered the congressional race for the newly configured Ninth District. Green ran on his long record of public service in Houston, emerging as the winner in the March Democratic primary with 66 percent of the vote. He prevailed in the general election with 72 percent of the vote.

In the current Congress, Green serves as the chair of the Oversight Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee and serves on the Homeland Security Committee.

 In his first term, Green introduced the Homes for Heroes Act. The bill created a veterans’ affairs position in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist veterans experiencing homelessness to find affordable housing. “I am sorry to report, Mr. Speaker,” Green said on the House Floor when the bill came up for debate, “that as many are sleeping in the suites of life, too many are sleeping on the streets of life.” The measure was passed in 2016 when it was included in the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act and was signed into law.

Green became the first lawmaker to introduce and force a vote on three articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump in the 115th and 116th Congresses. When the House finally passed articles of impeachment in 2019 and 2021, Green voted for all of them.

Supported by his Texas Democratic Congressional Colleagues and both United States Senators from Texas, Green recommended Attorney Gregg Costa in 2011 as well as Federal Magistrate George Hanks and Harris County District Court Judge Al Bennett in 2014 for Federal District Court Judgeships. Additionally in 2014, Green recommended Judge Gregg Costa be elevated to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. All three were nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate to their respective benches.

In December 2020, Green’s legislation establishing an Emergency Capital Investment Program became law as part of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The legislation established a $9 billion Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP) for minority depository institutions and Community Development Financial Institutions serving low- and moderate-income communities.

In March 2021, Green’s legislation reauthorizing and funding the State Small Business Credit Initiative was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The legislation reauthorized and funded the State Small Business Credit Initiative at $10 billion. The funds expanded access to capital for small businesses still adapting to the pandemic and seeking to create high-quality jobs across the nation. The funding is expected to catalyze $100 billion in private investment for small businesses.

In November 2021, Green’s legislation, H.R. 2689, the Minority Business Resiliency Act, was signed into law as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency dedicated solely to the growth of minority businesses. H.R. 2689 permanently codified the MBDA in federal law to promote and administer programs to assist the development and resiliency of minority business enterprises.

This Congress, Representative Green has introduced three resolutions designed to start healing the chasm of racial animus that exists within our nation today. The first of these is the Slavery Remembrance Day resolution, a resolution to create a commemorative day to remember the victims of slavery. The second is a resolution to remove the name of Richard B. Russell, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, from the Russell Senate Office Building. The third is a resolution to create a Cabinet-level Department of Reconciliation which would be tasked with eliminating racism and discrimination in the United States.

During his tenure as a U.S. Representative, Green has been successful in securing over $100 million worth of funding for community projects for the Texas Ninth Congressional District.