By Even some Democrats thought what he did was crazy. The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to censure Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, for repeatedly disrupting former President Donald Trump during his joint address to Congress earlier in the week. The resolution, which described Green’s actions as a violation of congressional decorum due to his persistent interruptions, passed by a margin of 224-198. Ten Democrats broke ranks to support the measure, while two others abstained by voting “present.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, ordered Green’s removal from the chamber after the congressman refused to halt his interruptions. Johnson characterized Green’s conduct as “shameful and egregious,” calling on Democratic lawmakers to join Republicans in upholding standards of decorum. In a post on Twitter, he urged Democrats to support the censure resolution, arguing that those seeking to restore public trust should align with the GOP on this issue.
The Sergeant-at-Arms has REMOVED @RepAlGreen after he repeatedly shouted during President Trump’s State of the Union address.
Al Green is such LOW class. pic.twitter.com/8j8dh6g8NF
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) March 5, 2025
Before Johnson could formally announce the censure, Green and several Democratic colleagues embarrassed themselves even further, breaking into a rendition of We Shall Overcome, prompting a temporary recess of the session.
#BREAKING: House Democrats derail Speaker Mike Johnson’s reading of a censure resolution against Congressman Al Green for repeatedly heckling President Trump during his address Tuesday night…..with a rendition of We Shall Overcome pic.twitter.com/4FgGaDIO2B
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 6, 2025
Among the ten Democrats who voted in favor of censuring Green were Representatives Ami Bera from California, Jim Costa from California, Ed Case from Hawaii, Laura Gillen from New York, Tom Suozzi from New York, Jim Himes from Connecticut, Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, Marcy Kaptur from Ohio, Jared Moskowitz from Florida, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez from Washington. Notably, Suozzi, Kaptur, and Gluesenkamp Perez represent districts won by Trump in 2020, making them particularly vulnerable in future elections.
The censure may not be the last punitive measure Green faces. The House Freedom Caucus has signaled its intent to introduce a resolution that would strip him of his committee assignments, arguing that a harsher penalty is necessary for creating such an ridicuous scene during an address to the joint session of Congress. Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican from Maryland, who chairs the caucus, contended that the discipline imposed was insufficient, pointing out that Democrats frequently used similar measures against Republicans when they held the majority. Some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, have even suggested expelling Green from Congress, citing the need to restore order. Burchett remarked that Green could serve as an example, stating, “At some point, we’ve got to restore decorum, and Al just might be that sacrificial lamb.”
House Democratic leadership came to Green’s defense, dismissing Republican claims as politically driven. Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Massachusetts, rejected assertions that Green’s actions undermined congressional norms, while Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat from Texas, argued that Green was merely exercising his First Amendment rights.
Many of these same people pretended that a member simply yelling disagreement during a Biden State of the Union was akin to attacking American democracy.
Green has a major case of Trump obsession. The longtime member of the House has previously introduced multiple resolutions to impeach Trump and remained unapologetic for creating such a ridiculous scene. Speaking to reporters, he expressed willingness to accept the censure but emphasized that his protest was aimed at drawing attention to Trump’s proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security—claims that Trump has denied, maintaining that he only seeks to eliminate fraud and waste in entitlement programs.
The Washington Post noted that “Democrats — who have been struggling to find their messaging footing since Trump took office — had urged members of their caucus to refrain from causing large disturbances. Lawmakers approached Tuesday’s speech differently — a handful skipped it altogether, some walked out mid-address and others remained seated, but raised signs protesting Trump. But it was only Green who stood up and loudly condemned the president mid-remarks.
The last House censure came in 2023, when members voted 214-191 to censure then-Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-New York) for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol building under nonemergency circumstances. A month before that, Republicans censured Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) over her comments related to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
In 2021, House Democrats censored Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Arizona) after he posted a video depicting himself committing violence against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and then-President Joe Biden. Before Gosar, the House had not censured a member since 2010.”
Green has also announced plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump in response to the former president’s proposed strategy for U.S. involvement in post-war Gaza. During Trump’s first term, Green filed three impeachment resolutions, though none gained sufficient traction.
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