Washington — House Republicans are moving to punish Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas after he heckled President Trump on Tuesday during his address to a joint session of Congress.
Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington introduced a resolution on Wednesday to censure Green for the disruption. Newhouse is one of two remaining House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The resolution was introduced as “privileged,” which forces the House to vote on the matter within two legislative days. It says Green’s behavior “was a breach of proper conduct.”
Green was quickly removed from the House chamber just minutes into Mr. Trump’s speech after he stood and raised his cane in the president’s direction and shouted. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, warned Green to take his seat “maintain decorum,” but the Texas Democrat continued. Johnson then directed the sergeant at arms to “restore order” and “remove this gentleman from the chamber.”
After his removal, Green said he was “willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me.”
“I’m not fighting the punishment,” he said.
If Green is censured, the resolution calls for him to “present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure” while the speaker reads the resolution.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus also said Wednesday its members would be introducing a resolution to censure Green.
Johnson said Tuesday after Mr. Trump’s speech that Green “should be censured,” calling the disruption “a spectacle that was not necessary.”
“He’s made history in a terrible way,” Johnson told reporters. “If they want to make a 77-year-old heckling congressman the face of their resistance, if that’s the Democrat Party, so be it. But we will not tolerate it on the House floor.”
contributed to this report.
