In recent times, Rep. Al Green of Texas was formally admonished and censured by the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, in a resolution with the House voting 224-198. Despite the censure, few actually witnessed the event as a group of Democrats joined Green near the dais, making a commotion by singing “We Shall Overcome.” This trend of colleagues joining in to dilute the discipline has led to calls for further action, such as the expulsion of Green and stripping the Democrats involved of their committee assignments.
The censure of Rep. Green marks a change in the disciplinary actions taken by the House of Representatives. Previously, censures were rare occurrences, with the last one dating back to 2010 involving Rep. Charlie Rangel. The censure of Rangel was a solemn event that saw both sides of the House sitting in silence as the resolution was read. However, recent censures have been characterized by chaos and shouting, with members attempting to drown out the Speaker.
The increasing rate of censures in recent years has been a source of contention between Democrats and Republicans in the House. Republicans argue that Democrats initiated the trend with the censure of Rep. Paul Gosar in 2021 for posting a controversial video. In response, Democrats removed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committees. The behavior of Rep. Green is seen as part of a larger trend of lawmakers displaying disrespectful conduct towards the president during joint sessions of Congress.
The current state of disciplinary actions in the House can be traced back to an incident in 2009 when Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “you lie” at President Barack Obama during a speech. Wilson’s outburst led to calls for punishment from Democrats, who believed his actions were racially motivated. The subsequent resolution of disapproval passed by the House laid the groundwork for the current environment of frequent censures and disciplinary actions.
The House’s descent into low-grade guerrilla warfare with regards to disciplinary actions reflects a broader lack of decorum and bipartisanship in Congress. The routine sniping at the president during speeches to joint sessions of Congress has become the norm, with both parties engaging in tit-for-tat resolutions and censures. The question remains whether Speaker Mike Johnson will choose to escalate the situation further by taking additional disciplinary actions against Rep. Green and his supporters, or if he will opt to move past this episode.
