On Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered his first address since Inauguration Day to a divided Congress.
Some Democrats protested Trump’s speech by holding up signs of dissent, including one that read: “This is not normal.”
Trump’s speech hit on everything from Social Security to the price of eggs. His statements were at times inaccurate.
Heckles erupted from Democrats several times. At one point, Rep. Al Green stood up and interrupted the speech.
“There is no mandate,” he shouted.
On Thursday the House voted 224 to 198 to formally censure Green. 10 Democrats voted alongside Republicans to move forward with the censure.
This week’s chaotic speech exemplifies how polarized Congress has become, said USC professor Jeffery Jenkins. He is a provost professor of public policy, political science, and law at the School Price School of Public Policy.
“Increasingly you’re seeing the State of the Union become very partisan and polarized and that was not always the case. Polarization is not a static thing, it’s fluid,” said Jenkins.
Censure and censorship have been used repeatedly and interchangeably in Congress, however they have very different meanings.
“Censorship essentially means you can’t do something. You’re prevented from doing something. Censure means that if you do something and some group of people, in this case, the majority party doesn’t like it they will rebuke you. They will say: ‘We are calling you out and we are giving you a sanction,’ and the sanction is really just symbolic,” said Jenkins.
During Trump’s speech, House Speaker Mike Johnson intervened in the heckling with a reminder.
“Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House,” Johnson said.
Shortly after this reminder Green spoke out and was removed from the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms.
Green’s removal from the session and subsequent consequences have come under scrutiny. In the past, House Republicans heckled former President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address, and no disciplinary action was taken against them.
Congress has rarely censured members and the motion doesn’t lead to immediate action. Although the censure is a formal rebuke, it doesn’t strip the member’s rights or prevent them from voting on legislative issues.
It remains to be seen if similar action will happen again, as clashes erupt between Republicans and Democrats in this time of deep division.