March 6 (UPI) — The U.S. House Thursday voted to censure Rep. Al Green for shouting during President Donald Trump‘s speech to Congress that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid.
The final tally was 224-198 with 10 Democrats voting with Republicans to censure Green, D-Texas. Two members, including Green, voted present.
When Green stood in the well of the House to hear the censure motion against him read out, Democrats supporting him gathered around him as they sang “We Shall Overcome.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters just before the vote Thursday Green was warned he was violating House rules but deliberately chose to do what he did.
“We take no pleasure in this,” Johnson said.
Green spoke on the House floor Wednesday to explain his outburst. He acknowledged he spoke out “with intentionality.”
“The president indicated that he had a mandate,” Green said. “I said to the president you do not have the mandate to cut Medicaid. I have constituents who need Medicaid. They will suffer and some will die if they don’t get Medicaid.”
Green said he heard the speaker say he should cease but he chose to carry on out of principle on the issue, not an outburst of emotion.
“I think that on some questions, questions of conscience, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences,” Green said.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., introduced the censure resolution against Green. He said it was a “difficult step” and not personal.
He added that Green’s “willful disruption intended to stop a proceeding” cannot be ignored.
Newhouse is one of two Republicans still in Congress who voted to impeach Trump during his first term over the violent pro-Trump mob attacking the Capitol to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden‘s 2020 win.
The right-wing Freedom Caucus initiated the censure resolution against Green.
But Green said it was worth it to “let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.”