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Ten Democrats joined Republicans in censuring Al Green for his disrespectful protest of Trump's speech

In protest of the resolution, Rep. Al Green and his fellow Democrats began singing the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome."

Rep. Al Green

Rep. Al GreenAFP / Win McNamee

Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón

After Rep. Al Green (D-TX) heckled, shouted and behaved out of line during President Donald Trump's most recent address to Congress, ten moderate Democrats joined all House Republicans in censuring Al Green, making him the 28th congressman to be censured.

The House adopted the censure resolution by a vote of 224 to 198, just two days after Green stood up, waved his cane in the air and shouted at Trump during his speech, provoking his ejection from the chamber after Speaker Mike Johnson's request.

The House Democratic leadership did not urge a vote on Green's censure resolution, allowing lawmakers to decide for themselves whether to support it.

In addition to all Republicans, ten moderate Democrats supported the measure, taking advantage of their House leadership's failure to urge a vote on Green's censure resolution. They were: Ami Bera (California), Ed Case (Hawaii), Jim Costa (California), Laura Gillen (New York), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), Jim Himes (Connecticut), Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Jared Moskowitz (Florida) and Tom Suozzi (New York).

In protest of the resolution, Rep. Al Green and fellow Democrats began singing the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome."

Later, the representative addressed the resolution, justifying his action by recalling the peaceful protests staged by former Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).

"With peaceful protest, you have to be prepared to suffer the consequences because you have to, as John Lewis said it, get in the way. You’ve got to be disruptive. So you get in the way," he said.

“So I indicated that I was prepared to suffer the consequences for my actions,” he added. “Today we were here for me to suffer the consequences. I’m not angry with the Speaker, I’m not angry with the officers, I hold no ill feelings. But I never said I agreed with what was happening.”

Some Democratic representatives, such as Jim Himes, justified their vote in favor of the censure resolution.

Himes recalled that in 2009 he voted to rebuke Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) when he shouted "You lie!" during President Obama's speech to Congress. In this case, Al Green yelled "you have no mandate" at Trump and sabotaged the speech for several minutes.

“I voted to disapprove of Joe Wilson’s actions when he shouted at a different president, and I revere this institution, which I understand is a very unpopular position today,” Himes told The Hill. “But I’m sure I could construct a fairly elaborate argument that Trump is different than Barack Obama, but at the end of the day I think we need to stand up for the things that we believe regardless of which party benefits or loses.”

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