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Republicans line up to punish Democrat who protested Medicaid cuts [1]
['Daily Kos Staff']
Date: 2025-03-05
A Washington congressman has introduced a resolution to censure Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas for standing up and protesting during Donald Trump’s long-winded speech to Congress on Tuesday night.
Dan Newhouse, one of only two remaining House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, beat the far-right Freedom Caucus and Troy Nehls of Texas to the punch after they announced plans to push for Green’s censure. Newhouse introduced his resolution as "privileged," which requires the House to vote on the resolution within two days.
“Whereas, the conduct of the Representative from Texas disrupted the proceedings of the joint address and was a breach of proper conduct;” the resolution reads. “[A]nd whereas, after numerous disruptions the representative from Texas had to be removed from the chamber by the Sergeant-at-arms; Now, therefore, be it resolved that Representative Al Green be censured.”
Rep. Al Green disrupted Donald Trump’s addresses a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025.
Green stood up and shouted, “You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid” after Trump boasted about his nonexistent electoral mandate. Strangely enough, Newhouse and his fellow Republicans had nothing to say about the crass theatrics during former President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in 2022, when GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia stood up and heckled with glee.
You might even remember the “proper conduct” of Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who shouted “You lie!” during President Barack Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress in 2009.
Speaking of “proper,” it bears mentioning that Congress revised its 181-year-old hat ban in 2018 to allow religious headwear and head coverings worn for medical reasons. That didn’t stop notorious troll Marjorie Taylor Greene from sporting a MAGA-inspired red cap during Tuesday night’s snoozefest. So unless Greene claims she needs to wear the hat because her conspiracy-filled brain is a medical condition—she violated the rules of the chamber, too.
“The president said he had a mandate, and I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green told reporters in the hallway after his protest. “I have people who are very fearful. These are poor people, and they have only Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their health care.”
“I've said, I'll accept the punishment,” he added. “But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.”
Just two minutes after Green was removed from the chamber for speaking out, Trump made an ironic claim.
“I’ve brought back free speech,” he crowed.
Green’s protest and subsequent removal were impactful in comparison to other Democrats’ choices to hold up signs and wear pink suits. He garnered the most headlines and once again exposed Republicans’ utter hypocrisy.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/5/2308133/-Republicans-line-up-to-punish-Democrat-who-disrupted-Trump-speech?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_9&pm_medium=web
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