By Bo Erickson and Gabriella Borter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ten Democrats joined Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday in voting to censure one of their own, Representative Al Green, for shouting during a speech by President Donald Trump, illustrating the tightrope the party is walking as it tries to respond to Trump’s second term.
The lawmaker from Texas, who has served in the U.S. House since 2005, interrupted Trump early during his Tuesday night speech to a joint session of Congress, shouting and waving his black cane.
Republican lawmakers responded by booing to drown out Green, briefly bringing proceedings to a halt before he was escorted out of the chamber.
The move went against the guidance of top congressional Democrats, who had urged a solemn response and tapped moderate U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin from Michigan — rather than one of the party’s firebrands — to deliver their rebuttal speech to Trump.
Some Democrats on Thursday said that Green’s protest distracted from their efforts to focus Americans’ attention on the risk of disruptions to public services caused by Trump’s fast-moving campaign to scale back the federal government.
One of the 10 Democrats who voted to censure Green, Representative Laura Gillen, said that the incident as well as the Thursday follow-up vote distracted from legislating.
“Today’s vote was time that we could have spent addressing the pressing issues my constituents care about on Long Island: lowering costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and fixing our broken immigration system,” Gillen, whose suburban New York district is expected to be one of the most competitive in the 2026 midterm elections, said on X social media.
Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell, who had voted against censure, said, “Nobody looked good Tuesday night,” as the House chamber was filled with shouting, boos and jeers from members of both parties.
“It’s a complicated time” for Democrats, said Dingell, of Michigan. “We’ve got to get smarter, effective and targeted.”
After Thursday’s censure resolution was approved 224 to 198, about two dozen Democrats, singing the civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” surrounded Green in the chamber, leading U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to gavel the House into recess and delaying the formal censure motion.
Censure is a symbolic reprimand that carries no fines or other penalties. As the chamber has become increasingly boisterous and more bitterly partisan over the past few years, the frequency of the party-line reprimands has increased.
With Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of Congress, and a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, Democrats have been left with almost no power in Washington to counter Trump as he pushes forward with an aggressive agenda of slashing government, cutting taxes and radically revising decades of U.S. foreign policy.
Democrats’ next best shot of winning some of the levers of power will come in November 2026, when control of both chambers of Congress will be up for grabs.
DEMOCRATIC DEFENDERS
Other Democrats defended Green or noted that Republican lawmakers have also been increasingly rowdy.
“I don’t want to hear that only one group of people have to abide by the rules,” said Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas, who voted against the measure.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, another no vote, said her constituents felt energized by Green’s protest, “when many people are not feeling always heard by all elements of the Democratic Party.”
“I think it’s important that Democrats not be scared all the time,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “This is a moment for us to try new things and this is a moment for us to learn.”
Representative Chrissy Houlahan, one of the Democrats who voted to censure Green, said she respected him for trying to call attention to what she views as inexcusable actions by Trump.
“But there are rules in our House,” the Pennsylvania lawmaker said. “I think every vote is a vote that you have to consider individually and not necessarily as a party.”
For his part, Green, wearing a tie featuring the U.S. Constitution, told reporters on Thursday that he has received calls telling him to “wear a rope” around his neck.
He said he has not spoken with House Democratic leadership about his protest but that other lawmakers have privately told him his actions were inappropriate.
Green said he understands that Democrats may take different routes, “but the destination is still the same.”
(Reporting by Bo Erickson and Gabriella Borter; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone and Mark Porter)
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