Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas doubled down on impeaching President Donald Trump following his disruption and removal from the president’s address to Congress on Tuesday night.
Green, a longtime critic of Trump, told reporters after being removed that he was working on articles of impeachment against the president and defended his outburst at the start of Trump’s speech.
“This president is unfit,” Green said. “He should not hold the office.”
Green said it was worth being removed from the joint session of Congress to make his point, which he said was to object to Trump saying he had a “mandate.”
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“I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green said, referring to the health care program used by 80 million Americans. “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.”
“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,” he said.
Green’s outburst saw the congressman wave his walking cane as he stood up and shouted at the president. Republicans drowned him out with chants of “USA! USA!”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., issued a warning for order, banging the gavel and saying, “Take your seat, sir!” When Green remained standing, Johnson ordered the Sergeants-at-Arms to restore order by removing the long-serving congressman from the chamber.
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When reporters asked Green if shouting during Trump’s speech was the best way to get his point across, the congressman did not waver.
“It is the best way to get that across to a person who uses his incivility, who uses his incivility against our civility,” Green said of Trump. “He is a person who has consistently used incivility against civility.”
Johnson said afterward that Green should be censured by the House – among the more severe reprimands his colleagues could mete out.
“He’s made history in a terrible way,” Johnson told reporters after the session.
“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,” Johnson said. “But we will not tolerate it on the House floor.”
Green told reporters that he is “willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me.”
“I didn’t say to anyone, don’t punish me,” Green said. “I’ve said, I’ll accept the punishment.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
