1:27Watch: Congressman Al Green ejected from chamber after disrupting Trump speech
Representative Al Green was ejected from the House chamber for heckling President Donald Trump during his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.
Green, a Democratic lawmaker from Houston in Texas, stood up and shouted ‘Mr President, you don’t have a mandate!’ just minutes into Trump’s address, referring to Medicaid cuts.
He was immediately drowned out by Republicans shouting “U-S-A!,” before House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered his removal from the chamber.
Green is a fierce critic of President Trump, and called for the impeachment of the president during his first term in office.
Speaking to reporters after he left the chamber, Green said he is willing to accept whatever punishment he is given for his actions.
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He doubled down on his message, saying Trump “has no mandate to cut Medicaid”, and that he is preparing articles to impeach the president.
“This is the richest country in the world, and we have people who don’t have good health care. We’ve got to do better and now we’re about to cut Medicaid, which is for [the] poor,” he said.
Medicaid is the programme that helps cover medical costs for those with limited income and resources. It has become one of the biggest issues for Democrats concerned that about reductions to the programme.
Trump has said Medicaid won’t be affected, but achieving the widespread cuts Republicans promise could be difficult without cutting major social services.
Several prominent Democrats such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Medicaid beneficiaries as guests to the joint address.
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went on Instagram Live after Trump’s address, warning that Trump and the Republicans “are coming for Medicaid”.
Green was not the only Democrat who protested in the chamber.
Several Democratic women were seen wearing pink dresses in protest of President Trump’s policies, saying that rising costs are disproportionately affecting women.
Others were seen wearing yellow and blue ties, to show their support for Ukraine, representing the colours of the country’s flag.
Trump said Monday that he is pausing all military aid to Ukraine, a few days after his spat with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
The Democrats largely remained seated and quiet throughout Trump’s address, but some flashed placards with the word ‘false’ on them in response to some of the president’s claims.
This is in contrast to Republican lawmakers, who loudly applauded throughout Trump’s speech and occasionally burst into ‘U-S-A’ chants during his speech.
