By Lauren Burke
(NNPA Newswire) – In one of the quickest punishments of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the modern era, Congressman Al Green (D-Texas) was censured by a 224-198 vote in the House March 6. His censure featured no hearing at the House Ethics Committee and his punishment was put on the floor for a vote by the Republican-controlled House less than 72 hours after the infraction in question. Of the last three censures of members of the House, two have been members of the Congressional Black Caucus under GOP control.
On the night of March 4, as President Trump delivered a joint address to Congress, Rep. Green interrupted him twice.
“You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicare, and you need to raise the cap on social security,” Rep. Green shouted to President Trump.
In another rare event, Rep. Green was escorted off the House floor shortly after yelling at the president by order of GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The reaction was a stark contrast to how Republican members of the chamber were treated after yelling at President Biden during his State of the Union addresses. In 2022, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor-Greene was joined by Rep. Lauren Bobert (R-Colo.) in yelling at President Biden. In 2023, Rep. Greene, Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) yelled at Biden, interrupting his speech. In 2024, wearing a red MAGA hat, a violation of the rules of the U.S. House, Greene interrupted Biden again. She was never censured for her behavior.
“In terms of rules of decorum, they’re often violated by our Republican colleagues and the response is not punitive,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said about the disproportionate response as quoted by The AP.
Rep. Green, an 11-term congressman, voted “present” on his censure and was joined by freshman Democrat Congressman Shomari Figures of Alabama who also voted “present.” All other members of the Congressional Black Caucus voted against censuring Green.
Republicans hold a four-seat advantage in the U.S. House after the death of Texas Democrat and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner March 5. Ten Democrats voted along with Republicans to censure Rep. Green, including Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who is in the leadership as the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“I respect them but, I would do it again,” Rep. Green told Black Press USA’s April Ryan in an exclusive interview on March 5. “It is a matter of conscience.”
After the vote, a group of about 20 Democrats joined Green in singing “We Shall Overcome,” an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, in the well at the front of the House chamber. Several Republican members attempted to shout down the singing, and Johnson was eventually forced to gavel the House out of session and into a recess.
Shortly after the vote to censor Rep. Green, Republican Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee quickly filed legislation to punish members who participated in the singing of “We Shall Overcome.” Earlier this year, Ogles filed legislation to allow President Donald Trump to serve a third term, which is currently unconstitutional.
As the debate started, the stock market dove down by over one point hours from closing. The jobs report will be made public March 7.
The post Rep. Al Green is censured by U.S. House after protest during president’s address appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
