Last week, I led a resolution in the House of Representatives to censure Representative Al Green (D-TX) for his actions during the president’s address to a Joint Session of Congress. The House passed my resolution with a bipartisan vote of 224-198-2, with ten of my Democratic colleagues voting to support the measure. While I took no pleasure in leading this effort, I could not sit idly by after watching the decorum of our chamber be blatantly disrespected. 

Decorum and order are the foundations of how we conduct business in the People’s House. It is this facet of our legislative body that separates us from the likes of other nations whose approach to governance is rooted in violence and dissent. It is incumbent upon us as elected representatives to exact respect for the institution in which we serve, respect for each other as colleagues, and for the American people that sent us here to do work on their behalf.

During the president’s address last Tuesday, those principles were broken. The gentleman from Texas received multiple warnings from the Speaker of the House to stand down and cease his behavior, and had he not been removed from the House chamber, the speech would not have been allowed to proceed. As a longtime advocate for bipartisan problem solving and respect amongst colleagues, I was deeply disappointed to watch this unfold in front of me. 

There are times for open debate and dialogue on the House Floor, however, the President’s address was not an open forum. He was invited by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) to address both chambers of Congress to present his vision to get America back on track. Whether or not you agree with the President’s agenda, or his speech, we can all agree that emotions have reached a boiling point and that we should respect those with different viewpoints from our own.

Many have pressed upon me and my office to reflect on the behaviors of my Republican colleagues during addresses from Democrat presidents, and I will not defend the past actions and interruptions. However, Mr. Green’s outburst resulted in his removal from the chamber, which was the first in my decade-long service in the House. That is a clearly defined difference in these situations, and ten of my colleagues on the Democrat side of the aisle agreed with me that actions have consequences. 

We can and must do better. We must maintain a standard in Congress, and any Member’s refusal to adhere to the rules of the House, regardless of their political affiliation, must be reprimanded. I took no pleasure in having to censure a colleague, but I knew it was the right decision to stand for order and respect in the House on behalf of the people of Washington’s 4th District.  

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