1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

The House vote to censure Rep. Al Green for disrupting President Trump's address to Congress was a partisan overreaction. Green's protest, while unorthodox, expressed valid concerns about potential cuts to critical healthcare programs like Medicaid that would adversely impact many Americans. Dissent and principled opposition are vital to a healthy democracy. Censuring Green for voicing his objections during a presidential speech sets a troubling precedent that could have a chilling effect on free speech and open debate in the future. A more measured response acknowledging Green's right to protest would have been preferable to formal censure. The American people deserve robust discourse from their elected representatives, not suppression of divergent views.