House divided over consequences for controversial congressman

WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers appear open to stripping Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, of his committee positions after disrupting President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, while Democratic members remain widely opposed to the idea.

“In my view, I believe that Congressman Green, by speaking for people on Medicare and Medicaid, showed a lot more respect for the American people than Elon Musk, who calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme,” Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, told Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill of the GOP efforts to remove Green from his committee assignments.

Green was removed from the House chamber after interrupting Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress earlier this month. The Democrat was later censured by a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, but some Republicans on the House Freedom Caucus are seeking to take it a step further by threatening a resolution that would remove Green from his committee positions, Fox News Digital recently reported.

Democratic lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital said they were opposed to further punishment against Green, saying it’s “a step too far.”

REP. AL GREEN BLAMES ‘INVIDIOUS DISCRIMINATION’ FOR BEING CENSURED AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP’S SPEECH

Republican lawmakers appear open to stripping Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, of his committee positions after disrupting President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, while Democratic members remain widely opposed to the idea. (Win McNamee/Pool)

“I think that’s a step too far. We didn’t do that to Joe Wilson when he called President Obama a liar,” said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.

Beyer added that Congress should require a greater majority of members in order to censure lawmakers. 

“Right now, it’s just Democrats censure Republicans, Republicans censure Democrats. It should be something that offends the whole body, not just the other side,” Beyer said.

Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., said Green “received censure, he accepted the punishment, and we all need to figure out how we can move forward together and focus on the work of the American people.”

SCOOP: DEMS WHO DERAILED AL GREEN CENSURE COULD BE STRIPPED OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ROLES

Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Gwen Moore, D-Wis., spoke with Fox News Digital about GOP efforts to remove Al Green from his committee position. (Fox News Digital)

Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital, however, remained critical of Green’s interruption of the president’s speech.

Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., said he hadn’t seen the resolution, but that “at the end of the day, what he [Green] did was absolutely unconscionable.”

“The decorum in the House was violated in such a reckless way,” Fry said. “For me, all options should be on the table.”

“I did sit during the censorship vote, and that was the first time I ever saw something like that take place,” Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., said. “Throughout the whole State of the Union, when you can’t even stand to recognize a 13-year-old boy who had multiple brain surgeries, I found that very appalling.”

Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., left, and Russell Fry, R-S.C., right, reacted to efforts to remove Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, from his committee position. (Fox News Digital)

One Republican, Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., said he didn’t think Green would actually be stripped of his committee position. 

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“I think that what he did was really an embarrassment last week. So we’ll see where we go,” said Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., adding that he “voted to censure him,” but that “I don’t know where it’s going to go from there.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Green’s office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.