Congress managed to censure the deranged Democrat who interrupted Trump

The United States House of Representatives voted Thursday to censure Democratic Congressman from Texas, Al Green, for repeatedly interrupting President Donald Trump during his annual address to a joint session of Congress.

The censure resolution was passed by 224 votes in favor and 198 against, with ten Democrats joining the 214 Republicans in the vote to formally condemn Green, who is 77 years old. Green, who voted "present" on the measure, became the 28th lawmaker in U.S. history to be censured.

The ten Democrats who supported the resolution were New York Representatives Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, as well as Ami Bera from California, Ed Case from Hawaii, Jim Costa from California, Jim Himes from Connecticut, Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, Marcy Kaptur from Ohio, Jared Moskowitz from Florida, and Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez from Washington.

After the vote, a group of Democrats joined Green to the House floor for his formal reprimand. They sang "We Shall Overcome" and repeatedly defied House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) instructions to vacate the area while he read the censure into the record. Johnson then suspended the session.

The vote doesn't strip Green of any privileges, although some Republicans suggested he should be removed from his committees as punishment for his outburst.

During Trump's speech, Green interrupted several times, shouting that the president "had no mandate" and was removed from the House by Sergeant at Arms William McFarland after refusing to stop.

Green admitted this Thursday before the vote that his conduct was intentional, although he acknowledged he was emotionally affected. "I heard the president when he said I should cease, but I didn't, and I didn't with intentionality. It wasn't an emotional outburst," Green said.

Representative Dan Newhouse (Republican-Washington), who formally introduced the resolution, noted that Green's lack of respect for decorum was unacceptable.

"A member's refusal to adhere to the Speaker's direction to cease such behavior, regardless of their party, has been and will continue to be reprimanded in the People's House," Newhouse stated.

Democrats attempted to block the censure resolution Wednesday night, but failed in a party-line vote of 211 to 209.

Other Democrats also protested against Trump during his Tuesday speech, with some choosing not to attend, others holding pathetic signs criticizing the president, and many remaining silent and refusing to applaud his statements. Some left the House before Trump finished his speech.

Green, meanwhile, expressed that he was willing to accept the censure. "I'm not upset with the members who will bring the motions or the resolution to sanction. I will suffer the consequences. But I must add this: 'What I did was from the heart.'

'People are suffering, and I was speaking about Medicaid. I not only said he had no mandate, but I said he had no mandate to cut Medicaid," Green stated. "Honestly, I would do it again."

The last time the House of Representatives censured a member was in late 2023, when then-Representative Jamaal Bowman (Democrat-NY) was reprimanded for triggering a fire alarm in the Capitol complex during the consideration of a resolution to prevent a government shutdown.

Censure is a "formal statement of disapproval in the form of a resolution adopted by majority vote." While censure doesn't entail the loss of privileges or rights, it is a means for Congress to register a deep disapproval of a member's conduct without reaching the threshold for expulsion.

In 2023, three representatives were censured. In addition to Bowman, Congressman Adam Schiff (Democrat-California) was censured for his comments on investigations related to Trump's ties with Russia, and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (Democrat-Michigan) was censured for her rhetoric on the Israel-Hamas war.