Washington Congressman Seeks to Censure Trump Heckler – What Does It Mean?
House Votes to Censure Rep. Al Green for Interrupting Trump’s Address
House Votes to Censure Rep. Al Green for Interrupting Trump’s Address
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to censure Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, after he interrupted former President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
The censure resolution was introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington’s 4th Congressional District, which includes Yakima and the Tri-Cities. The measure passed largely along party lines in a 224-198 vote.
"Decorum and order are fundamental to the operations of the U.S. Congress, and the blatant disregard for these standards during President Trump’s address by the gentleman from Texas is unacceptable," Newhouse said in a statement.
What Does Censure Mean?
Censure is a formal reprimand by the House to express disapproval of a member's behavior. It requires a majority vote and compels the censured member to stand in the well of the chamber while the House speaker or another presiding officer reads the resolution as a public rebuke.
Unlike expulsion, which is the harshest penalty and has only been used six times in history—most recently in 2023 with the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos—censure does not remove a member from office. A lesser disciplinary action, reprimand, requires only a simple majority vote and does not necessitate a public admonishment in the well of the chamber.
How Did Washington’s Representatives Vote?
House members from Washington largely voted along party lines, with one notable exception. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat from Southwest Washington, was among 10 Democrats who joined Republicans in censuring Green.
Votes in Favor (Yes):
- Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA05)
- Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA04)
- Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA03)
Votes Against (No):
- Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA01)
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA07)
- Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA02)
- Rep. Emily Randall (D-WA06)
- Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA08)
- Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA09)
- Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA10)
What Led to Green’s Censure?
During Trump’s address, Green interrupted by shouting, "You don’t have a mandate," according to USA TODAY. House Speaker Mike Johnson repeatedly asked Green to take his seat, but when Green refused, Johnson ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove him from the chamber.
"Mr. Green, take your seat. Take your seat, sir. Take your seat," Johnson stated, per a transcript from The New York Times. "Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the sergeant-at-arms to restore order. Remove this gentleman from the chamber."
This incident and subsequent censure highlight ongoing tensions in Congress regarding decorum and conduct during official proceedings.
