House censures Al Green for heckling Trump during speech to joint session of Congress
WASHINGTON - The Republican-controlled House voted on Thursday to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas., after his outburst during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., largely passed along party lines by a vote of 224-198.
Ten Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure: Reps. Ami Bera, D-Calif., Ed Case, D-Hawaii., Jim Costa, D-Calif., Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., Jim Himes, D-Conn., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio., Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y.
Green and Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., both voted present.
The resolution notes that Green's actions were a "breach of proper conduct."
Green was escorted out of the U.S. Capitol chamber early on in Trump’s speech after he rose from his seat, interrupted the president and started saying, “You don’t have a mandate” before being drowned out by Republican jeers.
When House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered Green to take his seat, Green refused. Green later told reporters that, "I'll accept the punishment, but it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security."
After the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on Fox News that Green's actions bring "shame on the institution."
"It brought shame on them as individuals and on their party, and it's just disgusting to me. I mean, really, I take no pleasure in this," he said. "I want us to have dignity and decorum in this institution, because it sends a message around the world, and it is, you know, these are the duly elected representatives of the people. They should be models of integrity and character."
Though Democrats had tried to table Newhouse’s resolution on Wednesday, their motion was unsuccessful.
Sarah Binder, a professor of political science at George Washington University, said that there are "no explicit penalties" that follow House censure.
"It's essentially a public rebuke of a lawmaker for his or her behavior," she said. "The consequences - to the degree that there are any - are typically political. Some lawmakers wear their censure like a well-earned badge. Al Green was very clear that GOP consideration of large cuts to Medicaid motivated his outburst. I suspect Rep. Green won't be much chastened by a House vote to censure him."
Mark Harkins, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, said that a censure of a lawmaker "could reflect badly on the district represented and lead the voters to want a new member."
"However, the more political the censure, the more likely it will become a net positive for the member. See Adam Schiff in California where his censure was seen as a badge of honor and helped propel him to a statewide Senate seat," he said.
Green has pushed for impeaching Trump during his first and second term.
In February, he announced on the House floor that he will file articles of impeachment against the president over "injustice in Gaza." He told reporters on Tuesday that he was working on articles of impeachment against the president.