Cnn
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Ten Democrats joined the House Republicans Thursday Repr. Censorship Al Green For his protest at the address of President Donald Trump at the Congress this week – an official conviction of the actions of Texas Democrat.
The vote highlights the divisions within the Democratic Party on the way in which certain members protested against the president’s remarks. Locked from power to Washington, Democrats seek to find a convincing unified message to counter Trump and the new administration – a struggle that is played not only on Capitol Hill but across the country.
Divergent tactics were fully exposed during the Tuesday evening address, some democrats holding panels, coming out or completely boycotting it. Others have adopted a more silent approach, following the advice of the Democratic Management of the Chamber, which had urged members not to set up high -level demonstrations and to show the restraint during the address, warning that the GOP could enter such actions.
Once considered rare in the house of the house, censorship was used more frequently in recent years. This is equivalent to a significant reprimand of a member of the congress, although he does not carry an explicit sanction beyond a public warning of a legislator and is not as serious as the expulsion.
It remains to be seen if Green faces a reprimand more for his actions, because a group of conservative legislators plans to file a measure to strip the member of the Congress of his Committee assignments. House Freedom Caucus said they expected it to be brought to the ground next week.
The legislators finally voted on 224-198 to censor Green, with the representative of the Congress and Democratic first year, Shomari, the figures of the Alabama voting “present”.
While the president of the room, Mike Johnson, called on the congress to be officially censored after the vote, Green directed a group of democrats by singing the song of the Gospel, “We Will Overcoma” on the ground of the Chamber, upsetting certain Republicans who called to order. Johnson then called the house in recess so that the ground can be cleared.
The 10 Democrats who voted with the Republicans to censor Green were: Ami Bera of California, Ed Case of Hawaii, Jim Costa of California, Laura Gillen from New York, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, Marcy Kaputur de l’Ohio, Jared Moskowitz de New York.
“I don’t mind being one of the 10 Democrats who said no, there is a deeper principle at stake here, which is reverence for this institution,” said Himes after the vote, adding that legislators must act “with the decorum and with the civility that tells the world that we are a serious country.”
“I have no love for Donald Trump, but I have respect for the president’s office,” he told Pamela Brown from CNN.
Most of the 10 Democrats are considered to be party centrists and belong either to the Blue Dog Coalition, the New Democrat Coalition or the Bipartisan Caucus Problem Solvers.
Many represent competitive seats, including three of the Democrats – Kaptur, Suozzi and Gluesenkamp Perez – which represent districts that Trump won in November.
The number of democrats supporting the measure surprised some in the party, which expected more unity.
But some legislators have said that anger developed among the Democrats on Green’s buffoonery – who, according to them, consumed the headlines and distracted Trump actions, such as his plan to relax the Ministry of Education.
“People are upset,” said a democratic legislator, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamics of internal parties. The legislator added that the Green buffoonery was considered “selfish”, the leaders after the party clearly indicated that they wanted their members to act dark during the address.
“Many people are like, why are we not in the same team?” This member said.
The head of the House minority, Hakeem Jeffries, told journalists that it was a vote that his caucus “had taken without any official recommendation” of the Democrat whip. “And people have made a decision according to what they consider the right thing to do with their district,” said the best democrat in the House after the vote.
Speaking on the floor of the room later Thursday, Green said that he had “no reason in my heart to be upset” facing the voting of the room to censor it.
Green, 77, disturbed Trump’s address to a joint congress session on Tuesday evening, encouraging the chamber president Mike Johnson to withdraw the Democratic legislator of the Chamber. Wednesday, Green told journalists that he “suffered the consequences” of his protest and that he would do everything. Green said he protested Trump about Medicaid’s question.
“I have no feeling of harm towards the speaker, no towards the people who have escorted me away from the ground, because I disturbed. And I did it because the president said he had a mandate. And I wanted him to know that he did not have the mandate to cut Medicaid, “he said in a speech on the house of the house on Thursday.
Democrats have warned that Medicaid could be in danger as an eyeworthiness republicans of major spending reductions to advance Trump’s legislative program.
Johnson earlier Thursday, criticized Green’s behavior during the speech as “shameful and obvious”, saying that “disgraced the institution of the congress”.
“He deliberately violated the rules of the chamber and a quick vote of censorship is an appropriate remedy. Any democrat who cares about regaining confidence and respect for the American people should join the Républicains of the House in this effort, “said Johnson in a morning Publish.
This title and this story have been updated with additional developments.
Aileen Graef and Morgan Rimmer of CNN contributed.