The conservative House Freedom Caucus is vowing to introduce a censure resolution against Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the Texas Democrat was escorted out of President Trump's address because of his disruptive protest.
“UPDATE… The House Freedom Caucus will be introducing a censure resolution against Rep. Al Green today,” the conservative group wrote on X Wednesday morning.
It remains unclear which Freedom Caucus member is leading the resolution push, and when on Wednesday it will be introduced. When it is brought forward, however, it is likely to get a vote on the House floor: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) endorsed the censure effort on Tuesday night and said he would “absolutely” bring the measure up for a vote.
“Absolutely shameful. He should be censured,” Johnson said when asked by The Hill about the protest. “It’s a spectacle that was not necessary. He’s made history in a terrible way, and I hope he enjoys it.”
The House Freedom Caucus is not the only group of lawmakers racing to censure Green.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) — who resigned from the Freedom Caucus last year, after the group removed Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) from its ranks — is also circulating a draft resolution to censure Green that he plans to introduce on Wednesday.
Nehls started circulating the resolution Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., his office said. The House Freedom Caucus post on X announcing the plan to censure was posted shortly after at 9:25 a.m.
Minutes into Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday — the first of his second term — when Trump was discussing the “mandate” he received from the American people in November, Green stood up and yelled back at the president, contending that he did not have a mandate to cut Medicaid. Republicans then started chanting “USA.”
Johnson, atop the dais, gave Green a warning, urging the Texas Democrat to “take your seat.” Green, however, kept yelling out at Trump, prompting Johnson to order the sergeant at arms to remove the congressman from the chamber. Republicans sang “hey, hey, hey, goodbye” to Green.
Green — who has served in the House for two decades — did not show remorse for his protest, telling reporters Tuesday night “I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid.”
“I have people who are very fearful, these are poor people and they all need Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their health care,” he added.
While Green’s protest was far from the first time a sitting lawmaker yelled out during a president’s annual speech to Congress, the continuous nature of his display and the outcome, being escorted out of the chamber, drew widespread headlines.
The board of the House Freedom Caucus warned against such protests before the speech on Tuesday, vowing to censure any Democrat who acted out.
“The President's address to tonight’s joint session of Congress is a constitutional obligation — not a sideshow for Democrats to use noisemakers, make threats, throw things or otherwise disrupt. Our colleagues are on notice that the heckler's veto will not be tolerated,” the board wrote on X. “You will be censured. We expect the Sergeant at Arms and Capitol Police to take appropriate action against any Members of Congress or other persons violating House rules.”
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