The House will move forward with a final vote to censure Democratic Rep. Al Green Thursday morning after his disruptions during President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.
Democrats fell short of blocking the effort by a vote of 209-211-1.
On Wednesday morning, several members of the GOP conference were circulating different resolutions to censure Green, who was ejected from the House chamber after interrupting Trump’s remarks multiple times.
Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse was the first to formally introduce a resolution on the House floor on Wednesday.
“Decorum and order are the institutional grounds for the way we do business in the United States Congress, and the sheer disregard for that standard during President Trump’s address by the gentleman from Texas is unacceptable,” Newhouse said in a statement. “A Member’s refusal to adhere to the Speaker’s direction to cease such behavior, regardless of their party, has and will continue to be reprimanded in the people’s House.”
A censure resolution is a formal reprimand by the House for violations of the chamber’s code of conduct. A vote to censure a member of the House does not hold any power beyond a public condemnation of the member’s behavior and it does not deny the member privileges.
It requires a simple majority for passage. Censuring House members has been historically rare, but in the last few years we’ve seen members from both political parties use this as a political tool.
Green would become the fifth member of Congress to be censured in this decade.
Green on Wednesday defended his actions on the House floor last night, saying, “I would do it again.”
“I am not angry with the speaker. I am not angry with the officers. I am not upset with the members who are going to bring the motions or resolutions to sanction. I will suffer the consequences,” he said.
Rep. Al Green is removed from the chamber as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2025.
Win McNamee/AP
Green’s outburst happened within minutes of Trump’s address, when the president called his electoral victory a “mandate.”
Green, an 11-term Democrat representing the Houston area, stood up and pointed his cane as he shouted, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid.”
Speaker Mike Johnson slammed his gavel and gave a warning to lawmakers assembled to maintain decorum, telling Green several times to take his seat. As Green continued to protest, Johnson called for him to be removed.
Johnson said after Trump’s address that Green should be censured and that he would “absolutely” put a resolution on the floor after its introduction. He told reporters, “it’s a spectacle that was not necessary. He’s made history in a terrible way. And I hope he enjoys it.”
On “Good Morning America” on Wednesday morning, Johnson also defended his decision to have Green removed.
“Al Green was trying to interrupt the entire proceeding. But look, I’ll just say this. If the Democrats want a 77-year-old congressman to be the face of their resistance, heckling the president, then bring it on,” he said.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson listens during a news conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting of the House Republican Conference, Mar. 4, 2025 in Washington.
Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images
Green told ABC News late Tuesday night he was “following the wishes of conscience.”
“There are times when it it better to stand alone than not stand at all,” Green said. He added, “At some point, we’re all going to have to stand up.”
Green said as of Wednesday afternoon, he hadn’t spoke to Democratic leadership about the incident as he’s been mourning the loss of Texas Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner.
-Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.