WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the House, under Republican control, voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for his disruption during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday.
The censure vote passed 224-198, with 10 Democrats joining all Republicans in support. Green and freshman Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., chose to vote present. Throughout the voting process, Green sat alone in the center aisle.
Following the vote, as required by the resolution, Green stood in the well of the House chamber while Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., read the censure resolution aloud to him.
Numerous Democrats, including many members of the Congressional Black Caucus, surrounded Green in the well, singing “We Shall Overcome” in a display of solidarity, despite the speaker’s repeated calls for them to disperse.
Republicans in the chamber shouted, “Order! Order!” prompting two CBC members, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, to respond with, “Shame on you!”
Ignoring the speaker’s demands, Democrats continued their protest, leading Johnson to recess the House.
The 10 Democrats who voted in favor of censuring Green were all moderates: Reps. Ami Bera and Jim Costa, both of California; Ed Case of Hawaii; Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, both of New York; Jim Himes of Connecticut; Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania; Marcy Kaptur of Ohio; Jared Moskowitz of Florida; and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state.
At 77, Green is a longstanding figure in the House, having served for two decades. Since Trump’s first term, the vocal progressive has consistently introduced resolutions to impeach Trump and has indicated plans to do so again this year.
The censure was introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. A Democratic motion to table the censure resolution was defeated in a 209-211 vote on Wednesday.
Censure serves as a formal expression of disapproval regarding a member’s conduct. However, a censured member retains their rights and privileges as a House member.
Nonetheless, the issue may not be settled. The House Freedom Caucus, aligned with far-right members, mentioned intentions to propose a resolution aimed at removing Green from the House Financial Services Committee, stating on X that they expect Johnson to present the resolution next week.
Win McNamee / Getty Images
While many Democrats engaged in both silent and vocal protests during Trump’s lengthy address this week, Green escalated the situation.
He stood up from his seat toward the front of the chamber on Tuesday night, shook his cane toward Trump, and loudly insisted that the president had “no mandate to cut Medicaid … no mandate” — countering Trump’s claim that voters in the 2024 election had given him the mandate to reduce the federal government.
Republicans across the aisle, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, reacted with jeers and boos. The typically calm Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., shouted at Green: “Sit down!”
Johnson attempted multiple warnings to Green, who refused to comply. Consequently, Johnson instructed the sergeant-at-arms to remove Green from the chamber.
Green did not resist, exiting as Republicans chanted in unison, “Na-nah, na-na-nah-na … goodbye!”
On Wednesday, Green remarked that he had the “privilege of going to jail” with the late Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, the civil rights leader who taught him the significance of peaceful protest.
“Therefore, I harbor no anger towards the speaker, the officers, or the members planning to introduce motions or resolutions for sanction. I will accept the consequences,” Green expressed. “However, I must underline that my actions were heartfelt. People are suffering, and my comments concerned Medicaid. I didn’t merely state that he lacks a mandate. I specifically said he does not have a mandate to cut Medicaid.”
“I acted from my heart, and I am prepared to face any consequences,” he added. “But honestly, I would do it all over again.”
Article I of the Constitution grants both the House and Senate the authority to determine how to “punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour.” The first House censure was issued in 1832 for insulting the House speaker. Over the subsequent years, members have been censured for various offenses, including improper language during debates, corruption, and even assaults on the House floor.
Green has become the 28th member of the House to face censure.
The last member to be censured was another progressive Black Caucus member, then-Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who was censured on Dec. 7, 2023, for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol office building during a non-emergency; Bowman was later defeated in the Democratic primary and has maintained that the alarm incident was accidental.
A month prior, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress, was also censured for remarks regarding the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
The last Republican to face censure was Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar in 2021 after he shared an animated video depicting him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attacking President Joe Biden.
