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US House censures Democrat Al Green for protesting Trump's speech
Representative Green faced the House censure resolution for yelling at the president, waiving his black cane and refusing to sit down during Trump's speech.
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U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-TX) is escorted out after shouting during U.S. President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. / Reuters
A handful of Democrats joined the majority Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on March. 6 in voting to censure Democrat Al Green over shouting at President Donald Trump during his speech.
Representative Green, a Texas Democrat who has repeatedly called to impeach Trump, faced the House censure resolution for yelling at the president, waiving his black cane and refusing to sit down during Trump's speech.
The resolution was approved 224 to 198, with 10 Democrats supporting the move. Two Democrats voted present and another four did not vote. Republicans control the chamber 218-214, with three vacancies.
About two dozen Democrats, singing the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," surrounded Green in the chamber afterward, leading U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to gavel the House into recess and delaying the formal censure motion.
Green's message on March. 4 was drowned out by boos from Republicans, but he told reporters this week that he was saying that Trump had no electoral mandate to slash funding for Medicaid, the government healthcare program that helps cover costs for people with limited income.
The 20-year congressman was eventually escorted out during Trump's remarks by chamber staff who maintain the decorum and security of the floor.
Censure is a symbolic reprimand that carries no fines or other penalties.
Ahead of the vote, Green appeared to welcome the rebuke from his Republican colleagues, framing the censure is for his actions "standing up to President Trump."
Representative Dan Newhouse, a moderate Republican from Washington, introduced the resolution to censure Green for a "breach of proper conduct."
The censure process used to be a rarity, but four House lawmakers have been publicly reprimanded by their colleagues in the last four years -- mostly in party-line votes -- for inappropriate social media posts, actions that a majority of the House found problematic, and disrupting a vote.
In 2009, Republican Representative Joe Wilson from South Carolina faced a resolution of disapproval - a lesser form of punishment - after he shouted "You lie!" at Democratic President Barack Obama during an address to a joint session of Congress.
Since then, lawmakers have become more vocal as Republicans booed and shouted during former President Joe Biden's addresses and many Democrats on Tuesday followed suit and yelled during Trump's address.
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