The House of Representatives is set to vote on a resolution to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, following his disruption of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. During the speech, Green stood in the aisle and waved a cane at Trump, leading to a confrontation with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Johnson ordered Green to sit down or face removal, and when Green refused to comply, he was escorted out of the chamber by the House sergeant-at-arms.
Green later defended his actions, explaining that he was protesting Trump’s remarks about having a “mandate” for his agenda, particularly in relation to potential cuts to Medicaid and Social Security, as first reported by NBC News. The incident, which unfolded on Tuesday night, has sparked a larger debate about protest and decorum in the House.
“I didn’t just say you don’t have a mandate. I said you don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid, and I mentioned that the cap should be lifted higher on Social Security,” Green told reporters.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, a centrist Republican who was one of the few Republicans to vote to impeach Trump after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, explained his decision to introduce the censure resolution. “This isn’t a political stunt. It truly is about standing for the integrity of the institution. I would hope there is bipartisan support for that. We’ve got to turn things down,” Newhouse said.
The censure vote comes as the House has censured three other Democratic members over the past two years: Adam Schiff of California, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Jamaal Bowman of New York. If Green is censured, he will join this list of Democrats who have faced disciplinary action on the House floor.
Green’s protest highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the President’s policies, particularly his stance on social welfare programs. It also raises broader concerns about the conduct and decorum within the U.S. House of Representatives.
