House Votes to Advance Censure of Al Green Over Trump Speech Disruption

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to advance a formal censure resolution against Congressman Al Green (D-Texas) following his disruption of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.

As reported by Breitbart, the House narrowly voted to move to the next step in the censure process, with 211 members voting in favor and 209 voting against. The measure was introduced by Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), one of the only two Republicans left in the House who voted in favor of President Trump’s second impeachment in 2021.

“Whereas, the conduct of the Representative from Texas disrupted the proceedings of the joint address and was a breach of proper conduct; and whereas, after numerous disruptions the representative from Texas had to be removed from the chamber by the Sergeant-at-arms; Now, therefore, be it resolved that Representative Al Green be censured,” reads the measure, H. Res. 189.

Democrats’ efforts to table the resolution were unsuccessful.

Green’s disruption occurred early into President Trump’s speech, as the president reflected on his historic comeback victory in the 2024 presidential election. Pointing out that, for the first time in his political career, he won the national popular vote and thus earned a mandate from the people, Green stood up to repeatedly and falsely shout that President Trump did not have a mandate. Several other Democrats joined in, leading to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) using his gavel to interrupt the president’s speech in order to address the hecklers.

“Mr. President, members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House and to cease any further disruptions,” said Johnson. “That’s your warning.”

When Green and others refused to be quiet, Johnson again warned that “members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of decorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the Sergeant at Arms to restore order to the joint session.”

Johnson then ordered Green, who remained standing as he wildly waved his cane towards the president, to take his seat. When Green refused, Johnson declared that “find that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the Chair now directs the Sergeant at Arms to restore order,” at which point Green was removed from the chamber.

After Green’s removal, Democratic disruptions were much less frequent and rarely got a response from the president.

Green has had a long history of being one of the most anti-Trump members of Congress. He was the first member to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump during his first term, and did so repeatedly throughout the term despite not being able to point to a single impeachable offense. In May of 2017, he demanded Trump’s impeachment over the firing of FBI Director James Comey, despite the president having the authority to do so. Green again introduced articles of impeachment in July of 2019, over Trump’s use of social media to criticize several Democrats in Congress.