Gene Green Explained

Gene Green
Office:Acting Chair of the House Ethics Committee
Term Start:August 20, 2008
Term End:January 3, 2009
Predecessor:Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Successor:Zoe Lofgren
State1:Texas
Term Start1:January 3, 1993
Term End1:January 3, 2019
Predecessor1:Constituency established
Successor1:Sylvia Garcia
State Senate2:Texas
District2:6th
Term Start2:May 27, 1985
Term End2:January 3, 1993
Predecessor2:Lindon Williams
Successor2:Dan Shelley
Office3:Member of the Texas House of Representatives
Constituency3:95th district (1973–1981)
140th district (1981–1985)
Term Start3:January 9, 1973
Term End3:May 27, 1985
Predecessor3:J. W. Buchanan
Successor3:Gene Haney
Birth Name:Raymond Eugene Green
Birth Date:17 October 1947
Birth Place:Houston, Texas, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Helen Green
Education:University of Houston (B.A., J.D.)

Raymond Eugene Green (born October 17, 1947) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for, serving for 13 terms. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district included most of eastern Houston, including portions of the suburbs.

In November 2017, Green announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his current term, and not run for re-election in 2018.[1]

Early life, education, and early career

Green was born in Houston and he graduated from the University of Houston, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1971 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1977.[2] He held positions as a business manager and a private attorney prior to his election to Congress.

Texas legislature

Green was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1985.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Green was first elected to the U.S. House in 1992. Although the 29th was (then as now) drawn as a majority-Hispanic district, Green finished second in the five-way Democratic primary, behind city councilman Ben Reyes. Green defeated Reyes in the runoff by only 180 votes, all but assuring him of election in this heavily Democratic district. Green was reelected 12 times, never facing substantive electoral opposition. He ran unopposed in 1998, 2002 and 2004.

On November 13, 2017, Green announced his retirement.[1] He later endorsed State Senator Sylvia Garcia, who now represented his old state senate district (and who finished third in the 1992 Democratic primary) as his successor. Garcia went on to win the primary,[3] and easily won the general election.

Green left office in January 2019 after representing portions of eastern Houston for 46 years, having never lost an election.

Tenure

In the 115th Congress, Green was the only non-Hispanic white Democrat representing a significant portion of Houston, and one of only three in the entire Texas delegation (the others being Lloyd Doggett and Beto O'Rourke).

From 1996 until his retirement in 2019, Green was a member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. In 2011, he became Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. He also served on the Subcommittee on Energy and Power and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Legislative issues

Since being elected to the House of Representatives, Green had been working on education, labor, energy, domestic manufacturing, health issues, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and Social Security and veterans benefits. He has worked to improve access to quality health care, support initiatives to improve our economy and increased job training, and maintain financial aid for students.

Green voted in favor of the Iraq Resolution in 2002, and gave a speech on the house floor linking Saddam Hussein to the September 11 attacks in 2001. Despite the Democratic leadership's general disapproval of the war, Green voted against measures aimed at placing a timetable on military withdrawal.

In September 2004, he proposed the Every Vote Counts Amendment, which would have abolished the U.S. electoral college in United States presidential elections.

Green proposed legislation addressing domestic and global electronic waste (e-waste) concerns. H.R. 2284, The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act of 2011, was introduced in the 112th Congress to prohibit the exportation of some electronics whose improper disposal may create environmental, health, or national security risks.

Green also served on the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health during drafting of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and helped write and amend the legislation. Afterward, he worked for increased access to affordable and quality health care.

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: Wallace . Jeremy . November 13, 2017 . Gene Green stepping aside after more than two decades in Congress . . Houston, TX . November 13, 2017 .
  2. News: U.S. Congressman Gene Green To Deliver Commencement Address. Fenwick. Amanda. San Jacinto College. 2018-11-15.
  3. News: Senator Garcia expected to take Congressman Gene Green's seat in Congress. Shay. Miya. KTRK-TV. 2018-03-06.
  4. Web site: Membership. Congressional Arts Caucus. 21 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140644/https://artscaucus-slaughter.house.gov/membership. June 12, 2018. dead. mdy-all.
  5. Web site: Members. Afterschool Alliance. 23 March 2018.
  6. Web site: Members. Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus. 8 June 2018. June 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142643/http://www.ng911institute.org/about-the-congressional-nextgen-9-1-1-caucus. dead.
  7. Web site: Members. U.S. - Japan Caucus . 11 December 2018.