H.Res. 202, introduced March 10, 2025 by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, censures Rep.
Lauren Boebert for disparaging remarks about Rep. Al Green.
The resolution articulates the House’s condemnation and sets out concrete steps tied to decorum in proceedings. While not changing policy or law, it signals the House’s willingness to sanction conduct deemed disrespectful or demeaning toward a colleague.
If adopted, the measure would formalize a censure of Boebert, require her to present herself in the well of the House for the pronouncement of the censure, and authorize the public reading of the resolution by the Speaker. These steps are symbolic but carry institutional weight, reinforcing norms of respectful discourse in floor proceedings.
The instrument functions as an ethics- and decorum-oriented tool rather than a substantive policy change.
At a Glance
What It Does
The resolution censures Rep. Boebert for disparaging remarks about Rep. Al Green and sets procedural steps for the censure, including a public presentation and reading.
Who It Affects
Directly affects Rep. Boebert and the House of Representatives; indirectly impacts all members and staff involved in decorum enforcement and floor proceedings.
Why It Matters
Establishes a formal mechanism to address disrespectful conduct within the House, signaling accountability norms and potentially shaping future responses to decorum breaches.
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What This Bill Actually Does
This bill, H.Res. 202, is a formal censure of Rep. Lauren Boebert for disparaging remarks about Rep.
Al Green, including a controversial quote from a March 7 interview. It is a House resolution, not a statute, so it does not change law but it does change how the House treats a member’s conduct.
The measure requests that Boebert acknowledge the ruling by appearing in the well of the House and states that the Speaker will publicly read the resolution.
The document reads as an expression of the House’s stance on decorum and respectful debate. It is intended to reinforce norms inside floor proceedings and to communicate accountability for behavior that the House considers disparaging or racist toward a colleague.
The mechanism is narrowly tailored to this incident and mirrors other formal condemnations used to uphold chamber standards. In short, the bill is a symbolic but formal act of reprimand, designed to deter similar conduct and remind members of the expected tone during official proceedings.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill censures Rep. Lauren Boebert for disparaging remarks about Rep. Al Green.
Section 2 requires Boebert to present herself in the well of the House for the censure.
Section 3 directs the Speaker to publicly read the resolution.
Introduced March 10, 2025 by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan in the 119th Congress and referred to the Ethics Committee.
The instrument is a non-binding, symbolic expression of the House's decorum standards.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Censure of Rep. Boebert
This section states that the House censures Rep. Lauren Boebert for disparaging remarks about Rep. Al Green and frames the incident as a breach of proper conduct and decorum within House proceedings. It marks the formal expression of the chamber’s judgment on the member’s behavior and serves as the basis for the subsequent procedural steps.
Obligations following censure
Requires Boebert to appear in the well of the House to acknowledge the censure, signaling accountability and giving the chamber a visible, procedural response to the conduct in question. This step translates the political condemnation into a formal, on-floor action.
Public reading of the resolution
Directs that the public reading of the resolution be conducted by the Speaker, enhancing transparency and creating an official record of the House’s stance. The act emphasizes decorum and ensures the condemnation is publicly documented.
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Explore Government in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Rep. Al Green (Texas) gains formal recognition of the House’s stance against disparaging conduct toward colleagues, reinforcing personal and institutional dignity.
- Members across the House who value decorum—both Democrats and Republicans—receive a clear standard for conduct and a procedural tool to address violations.
- House staff and floor operations gain a predictable, ceremonious process for handling decorum breaches, reducing ambiguity in on-floor behavior.
Who Bears the Cost
- Rep. Lauren Boebert bears the explicit censure and any reputational or political cost associated with formal sanctions.
- The Boebert office and staff incur time and resource commitments related to the on-floor appearance and compliance with the resolution.
- The House as an institution bears administrative and reputational costs associated with enforcing and publicly recording the censure, including potential partisan signaling.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is balancing a principled, formal response to disrespectful conduct with the potential for politicization and limited practical impact, given censure’s symbolic nature and the absence of enforceable penalties beyond reputational cost.
The bill’s approach rests on a symbolic, procedural sanction rather than any substantive policy change. While it reinforces decorum norms, it does not alter rights or grant new powers beyond formal censure and on-floor procedures.
The central tension concerns whether a single incident warrants a formal censure in a highly polarized environment, and whether such a measure meaningfully affects behavior beyond optics. Practically, the resolution’s effect depends on adoption by the House; if adopted, it serves as a formal, public record of the chamber’s judgment and a discipline mechanism for future conduct.
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