Rep. Al Green (D-TX), the fiery Texas congressman who shouted and shook his cane at President Donald Trump during his congressional address, has now been officially censured for his actions. The censure vote came less than two days after Green was escorted out of the U.S. House chamber for his outburst during Trump’s remarks. As Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) began reading the resolution, which passed in a 224-198 vote on Thursday morning, a group of Democrats gathered on the House floor and began singing in protest.
The bizarre scene was first reported by Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. “There’s now shouting match in the house well between democrats and republicans after the Green censure. Things going really well here,” he wrote on X. C-SPAN footage captures the chaotic moment as several dozen Democrats huddle in front of Speaker Mike Johnson, while he gavels and attempts to quiet the crowd to restore order.
When Democrats refuse to disperse, Johnson calls a recess, temporarily halting the day’s proceedings in an effort to quell the unrest. On Wednesday, an unrepentant Green posted a photograph of his protest on social media, writing, “Last night I stood up for those who need Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Democrats will never abandon the fight to make sure every American has a safe, healthy, and financially secure life. #ISaidWhatISaid”
His words come after four years of higher-than-normal inflation on the heels of massive spending legislation passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden. The Democratic Party lost the November elections on the strength of Republican arguments that Trump and the GOP were more capable of improving the economy and bringing down prices. In the weeks since Trump took office, gasoline prices have stablized or have fallen in many parts of the country, and the inflation rate has not risen. In the past, as energy prices drop, the cost of transporting goods to the market falls and prices for consumers generally decline as well.
Green’s censure marks the third time a Democratic member of Congress has faced such a penalty since Speaker Mike Johnson took the gavel in October 2023. In December 2023, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) was censured after pulling a fire alarm in an attempt to disrupt House Republicans’ legislative process. A month earlier, House Republicans censured Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) for chanting antisemitic slogans during an anti-Israel rally.
The Democratic Party’s struggles to effectively counter Republican control in Washington, D.C., appear to be taking a mental toll on its members. Ahead of Trump’s speech, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) warned Democrats against outbursts or bringing props—a directive that was largely ignored as multiple Democratic lawmakers arrived with signs and shirts opposing Trump’s policies.
