NY Democrats break party ranks to censure Rep. Al Green: Here's why
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NEW YORK - On Thursday, the House voted to censure Rep. Al Green, a Texas Democrat, for disrupting former President Donald Trump's address to Congress—an effort that included two New York Democrats breaking ranks with their party.
The resolution, passed largely along party lines, was 224-198, with ten Democrats siding with Republicans.
SKIP TO: List of Dems who voted to censure Green | Is New York a red state? | Tom Suozzi | Laura Gillen
Why you should care:
Rep. Tom Suozzi, New York's 3rd District (left) and Rep. Laura Gillen, New York’s 4th District (right)
Among them were two Long Island Democrats, Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, highlighting divisions within the party over how to respond to acts of protest in Congress—a shift that many say echoes the broader "red shift" reshaping New York politics.
It also signals internal party tensions.
What does censure mean?
Censure is a formal statement of disapproval in the form of a resolution that is adopted by a majority vote. A censure does not remove a senator from office, and it does not deny a senator their rights or privileges.
What did Al Green do?
Rep. Al Green interrupts Trump address
Representative Al Green was removed from the chamber after repeatedly interrupting President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.
Speaker Mike Johnson had Green removed from the chamber during Trump's speech Tuesday after he stood up and shouted.
"You have no mandate," Green said, shaking a cane and refusing an order from Johnson to "take your seat, sir!"
Republicans swiftly pushed through a censure resolution against Green within 48 hours, officially marking the House’s strong disapproval of his actions.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, the resolution’s sponsor, said the censure effort was a "necessary, but difficult step."
Green, now serving his 11th term, offered no regrets Wednesday when he explained his actions.
Before speaking in his own defense from the House floor, he walked up to the Republican side of the chamber and shook Newhouse’s hand. Green said he did not blame Johnson or those who had escorted him out after his outburst.
"I did disrupt and I did so because the president indicated he had a mandate and I wanted him to know he didn’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid," Green said.
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List of Democrats who voted to censure Rep Al Green
These 10 Democrats voted in favor of a censure:
- Ami Bera of California
- Ed Case of Hawaii
- Jim Costa of California
- Jim Himes of Connecticut
- Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania
- Marcy Kaptur of Ohio
- Jared Moskowitz of Florida
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington
- Tom Suozzi of New York
- Laura Gillen of New York
The House passed the resolution, with two members, Green and Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), voting "present."
Is New York a red state?
Despite New York City’s reputation as a Democratic stronghold, it’s now experiencing what many are calling a "red shift." President Donald Trump made significant gains across the five boroughs highlighting growing political divides in a city grappling with the migrant crisis and shifting allegiances.
Voting results from The Associated Press reveal a trend that’s been seemingly building over the last three presidential elections.
For example, Vice President Kamala Harris won New York City by 37 points this year, a drop from Biden's 54-point lead in 2020 and Clinton’s 63-point lead over Trump in 2016, according to The City.
Trump gained traction across neighborhoods that previously leaned more Democratic, including Orthodox Jewish areas in Brooklyn, Asian neighborhoods in Queens, and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Bronx and Queens, according to the Center for Urban Research.
What they're saying:
FOX 5 NY reached out to Gillen about her decision to vote in favor of the censure. She responded that the American people expect their "representatives to hold themselves to a certain level of decorum on the House floor."
FOX 5 NY also reached out to Suozzi for comment, but he directed to his Twitter account.
Who is Laura Gillen?
UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 17: Laura Gillen, Democratic candidate for New York's 4th Congressional District, is interviewed after a routable on reproductive rights with House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., in Freeport, N.Y., on Thursday, O
Democrat Laura Gillen won New York’s battleground District 4 House seat on Long Island, flipping it blue and overcoming her previous defeat to Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito by four points two years earlier.
At the time she was elected, Gillen leveraged the district's Democratic enrollment advantage and garnered support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s "Red to Blue" initiative. An attorney and mother of four, Gillen emphasized her confidence in her ability to win the district.
On the campaign trail, she pledged to support increased law enforcement and border security if elected, countering claims that her campaign was focused solely on Democratic issues.
Full statement from Laura Gillen: "The American people expect their representatives to hold themselves to a certain level of decorum on the House Floor. If I expect the other side of the aisle to do that, I have to hold my Democratic colleagues to the same standard. Today’s vote was time that we could have spent addressing the pressing issues my constituents care about on Long Island: lowering costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and fixing our broken immigration system.""
Who is Tom Suozzi?
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 28: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) poses for a photo with Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) during a ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol on February 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. Suozzi was officially sworn-in on the House
Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election for a U.S. House seat in New York, boosting his party's hopes ahead of the 2024 presidential race. He defeated Republican Mazi Pilip for the seat left vacant after George Santos was expelled.
Suozzi’s win reassured Democrats about suburban support, crucial for retaking the U.S. House and reelecting President Biden. He was re-elected in November 2024, defeating Republican Mike LiPetri.
In a post on X after the vote against Green, Suozzi said, "I’m serious about building bipartisan coalitions to tackle these pressing concerns. It’s the only way."