Just 10 Democrats vote to censure still defiant Al Green for heckling Trump

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – The House of Representatives voted largely along party lines Thursday to censure Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green for heckling President Donald Trump during the president’s joint address to Congress Tuesday.

Members voted 224 to 198 on final passage of the resolution, which describes Green’s behavior as a “breach of proper conduct” for creating “numerous disruptions” during the address. Just ten Democratic lawmakers voted to censure Green and two voted “present” on passage of the resolution. 

The Democratic lawmakers who voted to censure Green include Ami Bera and Jim Costa of California, Ed Case of Hawaii, Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi 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.

Gillen, Suozzi, Kaptur and Gluesenkamp Perez represent congressional districts Trump won in November and are considered vulnerable incumbents.

Green and Democratic Alabama Rep. Shomari Figures voted “present.”

Speaker Mike Johnson instructed the House sergeant-of-arms to remove Green following his decision to refuse to stop interrupting Trump during the joint address. Johnson slammed Green’s antics during the primetime speech as “shameful and egregious” and urged House Democrats to vote “yes” on formally reprimanding Green in a post on X Thursday.

“Any Democrat who is concerned about regaining the trust and respect of the American people should join House Republicans in this effort,” Johnson wrote.

Republican Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett told the Daily Caller News Foundation’s Myles Morrell that he was open to expelling Green for his conduct during the joint address.

Before Johnson could read out the formal censure to Green, the Texas Democrat joined his Democratic colleagues in disrupting the proceedings by singing “We shall overcome,” forcing the speaker to briefly call the House into recess.

The House Freedom Caucus (HFC) announced it was filing a resolution to strip Green of his committee assignments following the Texas Democrat and others’ decision to meddle with the proceedings on the floor Thursday.

“We think the punishment was inadequate given that Mr. Green and the Democrats are still willing to disrupt the floor,” HFC chair Andy Harris of Maryland told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “So we think we have to bring it up to the next level of punishment which would be something the Democrats have routinely used against Republicans when they were in charge, which is stripping people of their committee assignments.”

“That would be a reasonable consideration,” Burchett told the DCNF. “We’re going to have to do something to combat this craziness that’s going on. At some point we’ve got to restore decorum and Al just might be that sacrificial lamb.”

House Democratic leadership appeared to defend Green’s conduct with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark telling reporters, “Let’s not talk about decorum when the plot is exposed and reiterated every single day.”

Democratic Texas Rep. Greg Casar defended Green’s conduct, telling the DCNF that the Texas Democrat was just exercising his first amendment right by heckling Trump during the primetime speech.

Several GOP lawmakers floated censure resolutions after Green’s outburst, but House GOP leadership decided to move forward with the one offered by Republican Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse.

“Decorum and order are the institutional grounds for the way we do business in the United States Congress, and the sheer disregard for that standard during President Trump’s address by the gentleman from Texas is unacceptable,” Newhouse wrote in a press release introducing the censure resolution. “A Member’s refusal to adhere to the Speaker’s direction to cease such behavior, regardless of their party, has and will continue to be reprimanded in the people’s House.”

Green defended his disruptive behavior following his removal from the House chamber.

“I’ll accept the punishment,” Green told reporters. “It’s worth it to let people know that there’s some of us who are going to stand up to against this president’s desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.”

Trump has consistently said he will not “touch” entitlement programs barring the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse.

Green announced he planned to file articles of impeachment against the president on Feb. 5 following the president’s proposal for the United States to takeover Gaza to end the Israel-Hamas War. The Texas Democrat notably introduced three articles of impeachment against Trump during his first term, but every resolution was tabled.

Myles Morrell contributed to reporting.