These 10 Democrats voted to censure Al Green
Ten House Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Thursday, rebuking the 11-term congressman for his disruptive protest during President Trump’s speech to Congress.
The chamber adopted the censure resolution in a 224-198-2 vote, less than 48 hours after Green stood up, waved his cane in the air and yelled at Trump during his speech, prompting his eventual removal from the chamber. The vote made him the 28th member of the House to be censured.
House Democratic leadership did not whip on the Green censure resolution, allowing lawmakers to decide on their own whether to support it.
In the end, 10 Democrats backed the measure: Reps. Ami Bera (Calif.), Ed Case (Hawaii), Jim Costa (Calif.), Laura Gillen (N.Y.), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Jim Himes (Conn.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Jared Moskowitz (Fla.) and Tom Suozzi (N.Y.).
The group is composed of centrists, members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and front-liners.
Green and Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) voted “present.”
Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he backed the censure resolution because he supported a similar, but diluted, effort in 2009 to disapprove of Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) when he yelled out “you lie!” during then-President Obama’s address to Congress.
“I voted to disapprove of Joe Wilson’s actions when he shouted at a different president, and I revere this institution, which I understand is a very unpopular position today,” Himes told The Hill. “But I’m sure I could construct a fairly elaborate argument that Trump is different than Barack Obama, but at the end of the day I think we need to stand up for the things that we believe regardless of which party benefits or loses.”
Suozzi — a centrist Democrat who flipped a red seat during a special election last year — lamented that instead of concentrating on the details in Trump’s speech, Americans are talking about Green’s protest.
“Instead of focusing on protecting Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, and instead of addressing rising costs, fixing immigration, and Ukraine, too many Americans are talking about a member of Congress being removed from the chamber,” Suozzi wrote on social platform X. “This is not helpful.”
“I’m serious about building bipartisan coalitions to tackle these pressing concerns. It’s the only way. Both parties must hold themselves to the same standards we expect from the other side,” he added. “I am angry about plenty that the President is doing and what he said the other night, but the punch, counterpunch is not working.”
On Wednesday night, Suozzi told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source” that Green’s display was “wrong” and “boneheaded.”
Green has remained defiant in the wake of his rebuke. On Thursday, after the censure vote, he pointed to peaceful protests that had been conducted by former Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).
“With peaceful protest, you have to be prepared to suffer the consequences because you have to, as John Lewis said it, get in the way. You’ve got to be disruptive. So you get in the way,” he said.
“So I indicated that I was prepared to suffer the consequences for my actions,” he later added. “Today we were here for me to suffer the consequences. I’m not angry with the Speaker, I’m not angry with the officers, I hold no ill feelings. But I never said I agreed with what was happening.”
Green began his protest minutes into Trump’s speech Tuesday night, when the president claimed he had a “mandate” from the American people. At that point, Green stood up and argued that Trump did not have a mandate, specifically saying he did not have authority to cut Medicaid.
His comments come as some Republicans are eyeing slashes to the social safety net program as part of their sprawling border, energy and tax package.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) urged Green to stop his display, telling him to sit down. Green, however, continued his protest, prompting Johnson to order the sergeant-at-arms to escort him out of the chamber.
Emily Brooks contributed.
-
‘I would absolutely vote no’ on Rep. Al Green censure: House Democrats vice chair
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, joins Meet the Press NOW to weigh in on President Trump’s address to Congress. NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell and Sahil Kapur report ...NBC News - 23h -
Screaming match breaks out in House after vote to censure Democrat Al Green
The House voted on Thursday to censure Democrat Al Green over his outburst at President Donald Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday night.ABC News - 57m -
House votes to censure Al Green for disrupting Trump speech
The House voted Thursday to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for his protest during President Trump’s address to Congress this week — a disruptive display that prompted his removal from the House ...The Hill - 5h -
House votes to censure Rep. Al Green for disrupting Trump's speech to Congress
The Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for disrupting President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday.NBC News - 4h -
House votes to censure Rep. Al Green after disrupting Trump speech
The House of Representatives has voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, after he disrupted President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress. NBC News' Ryan Nobles reports from Capitol ...NBC News - 4h -
Johnson: Democratic Rep. Al Green should be censured for ‘shameful’ protest
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) should be censured for his “shameful” protest during President Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. The comments ...The Hill - 1d -
House tees up final vote to censure Al Green for protest at Trump speech
The House on Wednesday teed up a final vote on a resolution to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for disrupting President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. The chamber voted 209-211-1 ...The Hill - 23h -
House Republicans tee up vote to censure Rep. Al Green for disrupting Trump's speech
House Republicans on Wednesday teed up a vote to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for disrupting President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.NBC News - 23h -
House Freedom Caucus to offer censure of Al Green
Politico - 1d
More from The Hill
-
Patel: FBI working to ‘zero out’ number of American hostages overseas
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is working to “zero out” the number of American hostages held captive overseas. “My singular promise to you in this community is that I will do everything as ...The Hill - 27m -
Trump signs tariff exemptions for certain imports from Canada, Mexico
President Trump on Thursday signed off on tariff exemptions for imports from Canada and Mexico that are covered under a 2020 North American trade agreement, marking the latest reversal of duties ...The Hill - 35m -
House Judiciary panel subpoenas Google, YouTube parent company
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Thursday subpoenaed Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, demanding the tech giant turn over its communications with the ...The Hill - 38m -
Trump signals he won't seek to change daylight saving time: 'It's a 50/50 issue'
President Trump on Thursday indicated he would not push for an end to daylight saving time, or to make daylight saving time permanent, suggesting the public was too evenly split on the issue. "It's ...The Hill - 39m -
Leadership isn't optional: What rural America taught me about global power
President Trump's treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raises concerns about the impact on American global leadership, which has been shown to have a significant impact on American ...The Hill - 43m
More in Politics
-
Wyoming billionaire Reid Rasner says his team has been in touch with White House over TikTok bid
Wyoming entrepreneur Reid Rasner, the latest U.S.-based suitor vying to purchase TikTok from its China-based parent company, said the Trump administration has reviewed his bid for the platform and ...NBC News - 5m -
Patel: FBI working to ‘zero out’ number of American hostages overseas
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is working to “zero out” the number of American hostages held captive overseas. “My singular promise to you in this community is that I will do everything as ...The Hill - 27m -
Trump signs tariff exemptions for certain imports from Canada, Mexico
President Trump on Thursday signed off on tariff exemptions for imports from Canada and Mexico that are covered under a 2020 North American trade agreement, marking the latest reversal of duties ...The Hill - 35m -
House Judiciary panel subpoenas Google, YouTube parent company
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Thursday subpoenaed Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, demanding the tech giant turn over its communications with the ...The Hill - 38m -
Trump signals he won't seek to change daylight saving time: 'It's a 50/50 issue'
President Trump on Thursday indicated he would not push for an end to daylight saving time, or to make daylight saving time permanent, suggesting the public was too evenly split on the issue. "It's ...The Hill - 39m