House Republicans Look To Censure Rep. Al Green

House Republicans are pushing to formally reprimand Rep. Al Green (D-TX) following his disruptive behavior during President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening, which resulted in his removal from the House floor. On Wednesday, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced plans to introduce a censure motion as a privileged resolution, a move that requires House leadership to address it within two legislative days.

According to a draft of the resolution shared with Punchbowl News, Green is accused of violating appropriate behavior standards by interrupting Trump’s address and necessitating his escorted exit by the Sergeant at Arms after repeated disturbances. Should the measure pass, Green would need to appear in the House chamber to hear the censure formally declared. Emily Brooks of The Hill indicated that a vote could occur as early as Thursday, requiring only a simple majority to succeed.

The incident unfolded when Green rose and shouted during the opening moments of Trump’s speech, prompting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to halt the proceedings and call for order, urging members to respect House decorum. Despite the admonition, Green persisted, yelling, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!”—a reference to a policy Trump has claimed he won’t alter. Johnson then directed the Sergeant at Arms to escort Green out.

Speaking to journalists afterward, Green expressed no regrets, stating he was prepared to accept any consequences for his actions and emphasizing that spotlighting potential threats to social safety-net programs justified his outburst.

In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Speaker Johnson labeled Green’s actions “disgraceful.” Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told POLITICO he intended to discuss the matter with Green. The Texas Democrat has a history of targeting Trump, having introduced several unsuccessful impeachment resolutions against him, including one for “dastardly deeds” shortly after Trump’s latest inauguration.

Censure, a public condemnation less severe than expulsion, has been applied to 27 House members in U.S. history. The most recent case involved former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), censured for triggering a fire alarm in a separate incident.