A Democratic congressman has called for US President Donald Trump to be impeached on the House floor, saying "democracy is at risk" if the former real estate mogul remains in his job.
Al Green took the stand in Congress on Wednesday (local time) to urge house speaker Paul Ryan to consider Mr Trump's recent actions an "obstruction of justice".
Last week's sacking of FBI director James Comey was brought up as the prime example of President Trump's "perspicuous" alleged offences while in office.
"We are talking about a president who fired the FBI director who was investigating the president for his connections to Russian involvement in the president's election," Mr Green said.
"Mr Speaker, this is not about the President firing the FBI director because he was investigating someone else, it's because the FBI director was investigating the President himself.
"And after firing the director he went on to let us know that he considered the investigation when he fired him. And then he tweeted language that would be intimidation or a warning, an admonition, very strong to say the very least."
Congressman Green went on to say that President Trump's actions cannot go unchecked, calling for him not to be seen as above the law and to call on the American people to weigh in on the matter.
"Mr Speaker, the American people are a part of this democracy. This is a participatory democracy," he said.
"The American people don't participate on election day only. The American people participate daily, and this is your day to act. This is your day."
Earlier in his speech, Mr Green had denied suggestions he was calling for President Trump's impeachment "for political purposes", saying he simply "[believes] in the great ideals that this country stands for".
"It's a position of conscience for me, and I have not talked to another person in Congress about this. Each member of Congress has to make his or her own decision," he said.
"This is where I stand. I will not be moved. The President must be impeached."
Newshub.
