GOP Rep: Al Green Expulsion a ‘Reasonable’ Possibility

Republican symbol on American flag background.

House Republicans eye potential expulsion of Rep. Al Green following his censure for interrupting President Trump’s congressional address, with GOP lawmaker Tim Burchett calling it a “reasonable consideration.”

Quick Takes

The House voted to censure Rep. Al Green (D-TX) after he heckled President Trump during a congressional address, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) suggested expulsion could be a “reasonable consideration” to restore decorum in the chamber
Democrats disrupted Green’s censure ceremony by singing “We Shall Overcome” in solidarity
Republicans are pursuing additional punitive measures, including removing committee assignments for Democrats who disrupted proceedings
Expulsion would require a two-thirds majority vote, making it unlikely without substantial Democratic support

Censure Vote Follows Disruption of Presidential Address

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) after he disrupted President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), passed largely along party lines with 10 Democrats crossing the aisle to support the measure. Green had interrupted Trump’s speech by shouting “You don’t have a mandate,” prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson to order his removal from the chamber for violating decorum rules. The formal rebuke represents a significant escalation in partisan tensions following Trump’s return to the White House.

Censure is considered a severe form of punishment in Congress, ranking just below expulsion in terms of disciplinary actions available to the House. During the formal censure ceremony, Green was required to stand in the well of the House chamber while the resolution detailing his misconduct was read aloud. This marks the 28th time in American history that a representative has been censured, joining recent examples including Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Rashida Tlaib, Adam Schiff, and Paul Gosar, who have faced similar discipline over the past several years.

211-209, House GOP overcomes Dem effort to kill censure resolution against Al Green for his floor protest during Trump speech. He is expected to be censured tomorrow.

It used to be very rare when the House would censure a member — and only for some of the worst offenses.

Now…

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 5, 2025

Republican Lawmakers Consider Further Punishment

In comments that have intensified the partisan standoff, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) suggested that expulsion could be a necessary step to restore order in the chamber. “Yea, I think it could be a reasonable consideration because I think … we’re going to have to do something to combat this craziness that’s going on. At some point we have to restore decorum and Al just might be that sacrificial lamb,” Burchett stated, signaling a potential escalation beyond the censure vote that could permanently remove Green from Congress if successful.

“Today, I voted to censure a fellow member of Congress. When you knowingly break House rules, as Rep. Green did, it shouldn’t be surprising to face consequences. Congress should respect the co-equal office of the Presidency, regardless of who holds the job, do our constitutional duty, and stop with the theatrics at these events,” said Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

Expulsion would require a two-thirds majority vote in the House, a threshold significantly higher than the simple majority needed for censure. Only five representatives have been expelled throughout U.S. history, with the most recent being Rep. George Santos (R-NY) in 2023. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) quickly dismissed the possibility of expulsion, pointing to the super majority requirement that would necessitate substantial Democratic support, which appears highly unlikely given the partisan response to the censure measure.

Democrats Stage Protest During Censure Ceremony

The censure proceedings themselves became a flashpoint when House Democrats broke into a chorus of “We Shall Overcome” during the reading of the resolution. This coordinated protest prompted additional punitive measures from Republicans, including a resolution from Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) that would strip committee assignments from members who participated in the disruption. The House Freedom Caucus has also announced plans to file separate resolutions targeting Green’s committee assignments as punishment for his actions.

Despite the censure and threats of further action, Green has remained defiant. In remarks following the vote, he defended his outburst as spontaneous and motivated by concerns over proposed Medicaid cuts that would affect his constituents. Green, who previously filed articles of impeachment against Trump during his first term, expressed willingness to accept whatever punishment might come from his actions, maintaining that he acted out of principle rather than a calculated political strategy.