Rep. Ami Bera facing heat for censure vote against fellow Democratic Congressman Al Green

Democratic Congressman Ami Bera (D-California) is under fire after voting to censure fellow Democrat Congressman Al Green (D-Texas) for interrupting President Donald Trump during Tuesday’s joint session address. 

Critics say Bera’s vote undermines party unity and stifles free speech. On social media, Bera faced harsh rebuke; one Instagram user wrote, “Bera, your vote silences dissent and betrays our progressive values,” while a Facebook post demanded, “How can you support punishing a colleague for speaking out? Stand for freedom, not censorship.”

See more comments in the image below. 

Prominent Democratic voices condemned the censure vote. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - New York) tweeted, “Censuring our own is a betrayal of democratic principles,” and progressive commentator Naomi Klein called it “a dangerous shift toward authoritarian tactics.” 

Critics of the 12 Democratic House members who backed the censure argue that such actions fracture the party and silence the debate.

Bera's most recent Instagram post was about a telephone town hall meeting he conducted last night. So far, that post generated 3,285 comments, almost all of which criticized his censure vote. 

First elected in 2012, Bera represented Elk Grove until 2022. In 2022, he and Sacramento's other Democratic Congresswoman Doris Matsui switched districts, and both easily won reelection. 

Although Bera no longer represents Elk Grove, he continues to reside here and has strong links to local politicians. Among them are Elk Grove City Councilmember Sergio Robles, who once worked in Bera's district office, and Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, a close political ally. 

The other Democrats who vote for censure include

Ed Case—Hawaii

Jim Costa—California

Laura Gillen—New York

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez—Washington

Jim Himes—Connecticut

Chrissy Houlahan—Pennsylvania

Marcy Kaptur—Ohio

Jared Moskowitz—Florida

Tom Suozzi—New York