Last week, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was censured by the House after he interrupted President Donald Trump's speech before a joint session of Congress and had to be removed, after receiving multiple warnings from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). That story isn't going away, though, given how Green keeps playing the victim, in addition to how he could lose his committee assignments.
The morning Green was censured, Johnson had to gavel into a recess, given that Green and other Democrats wouldn't stop singing "We Shall Overcome," even after the speaker called for order. And yet the congressman still claimed over his X account that he was accepting the outcome. "I accept the consequences of my actions, but I refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. #WeShallOvercome," he posted in part.
Green also did a series of media hits, including for Democracy Now! and "The Breakfast Club."
In the former, he claimed that Trump was the one who had "a breach of decorum." As he continued to claim, "the president uses his incivility to take advantage of our civility." Throughout his appearance, he continued to insist that Trump needed to have "decorum."
He also spoke to his "present" vote on his censure, which was not to pressure his colleagues. Another Democrat voted "present," and 10 voted with all Republicans in the matter. Green also made it about his "conscience," which he claims is why he had such an outburst, which involved him ranting and raving about the completely unrelated issue of Medicaid, when Trump was speaking about his impressive electoral victory from last November.
"I voted my conscience, I did what conscience called on me to do, and my convictions demanded that I do, when I spoke to the president. I would do it again, I regret that I've been censured, there is talk of removing me from my committee." He likely correctly predicted that "this is not over," but he still insisted "I will stand on what I have done, I am not ashamed of what I have done," and then brought up the late congressman and civil rights activist, John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia and his peaceful protests. Once more, he tried to say that he would face the consequences, despite the disruption in the well when it came to being censured.
During his appearance on "The Breakfast Club," Green made the conversation even more so about race. When asked by host Charlamagne Tha God about why Green was removed and not Republican members at previous addresses when interrupting Democratic presidents, Green brought up "invidious discrimination."
Green began by how this "gets to the essence of where we are, but a good many of us don't realize it," which is that "there is invidious discrimination in the House of Representatives. I’m a son of the segregated South. The rights that the Constitution recognized for me, my friends and neighbors denied," he said. "I had to sit in the back of the bus, the balcony of the movie, drink from a colored water fountain and my relatives who committed some crimes were locked up in the bottom of the jail. I know what invidious discrimination looks like. The Klan burned a cross in my yard. I have--I know what it smells like."
The congressman continued to speak of this "invidious discrimination" as it relates to his current predicament. "I was in filthy waiting rooms and I’ve been in places where I didn’t want to be. And I know what it sounds like. I’ve been called all kinds of ugly names. So I know invidious discrimination," said Green, adding, "And when the speaker decided that I would be removed, and then there was this motion, this resolution to censure me, it became obvious to me that I was not being treated as others were. And candidly speaking, it is invidious discrimination, harmful discrimination."
"I don't agree with that, but I was willing to suffer that, because I knew I had to get that message to the president, and put this issue before the public," which is an issue he has said repeatedly he wouldn't touch. Green then went on to fearmonger some more about cuts to Medicaid.
Again, as he himself acknowledged, the congressman may lose his committee assignments, given that the House Freedom Caucus has filed a bill to remove Green from his committee assignments. Further, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) has filed a bill to remove those Democrats supporting Green in causing a stir at the well from their committee assignments.