House votes to censure GOP Rep. Gosar

A censure resolution is the most severe form of punishment in the House and represents a dramatic moment on the chamber's floor.

The last time a member was censured was in 2010, when former Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York was censured by his own party over various ethics violations.

After the resolution is adopted, the lawmaker who is being reprimanded is required to stand in the well of the House while the resolution is read out loud by whoever is presiding over the chamber.

A censure carries no explicit penalties beyond a public admonition.

In the case of GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, the censure resolution that was approved in the House today will also remove him from his two committee assignments.

Removing a member of committee assignments deprives them of a powerful platform to influence legislation and give voice to constituent priorities.

The action led by House Democrats represents a major rebuke to the Arizona Republican for posting a photoshopped anime video to social media showing him appearing to kill Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.

Gosar later took down the video after facing criticism but did not apologize. House Democrats have made clear they believe he must face significant consequences for his actions, while many Republicans have argued Democrats are setting a dangerous precedent that could be used against them in the future.

Following passage of the measure today, House Speaker Pelosi asked Gosar to present himself. She then read out the censure and announced the congressman's removal from committee assignments.

The resolution approved by the House will remove Gosar from House Oversight and Reform Committee, which Ocasio-Cortez also serves on, and the Natural Resources Committee.

When Gosar stood in the well as Pelosi read the censure to him, a group of Republicans joined him. Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California were sitting in the front row as the censure was read.

The House voted largely along party lines to censure GOP Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona.

The move comes after he posted a photoshopped anime video on his Twitter and Instagram accounts showing him appearing to kill Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and attacking President Biden.

The final vote was 223-207-1, with three non-votes.

Republicans Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming voted with all the Democrats for the censure resolution. Republican Rep. David Joyce of Ohio voted present, meaning he took no position either way.

Gosar will now be stripped of his committee assignments: the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which Ocasio-Cortez also serves on, and the Natural Resources Committee.

GOP Reps Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Morgan Griffith of Virginia did not vote.

The vote marks the first time the House voted to censure a sitting member in more than 10 years.

What this means: A censure resolution is the most severe form of punishment in the House, and stripping a member of committee assignments deprives them of a powerful platform to influence legislation and give voice to constituent priorities.

Shortly after the vote, Gosar released a statement defending the anime video and said Democrats are trying to cancel him.

GOP Rep. Paul Gosar was joined by a group of Republicans as he stood in the well while House Speaker Pelosi read the censure to him.

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who Democrats stripped of her committee assignments earlier this year, was among the group of GOP lawmakers standing with Gosar in the well as the censure was read.

"By its adoption of the House Resolution 789, the House has resolved that Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona be censured," Pelosi read.

Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Maxine Waters were sitting in the front row as the censure was read.

The House just voted to approve a resolution that censures Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and strip him of his two committee assignments.

Only two Republicans voted in favor of the measure:

Both lawmakers are the lone Republicans on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, told reporters, after her vote to censure GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, that, "This is not an issue about party.” 

When asked about reporting about three members of the Wyoming GOP Central Committee, which narrowly voted to no longer recognize Cheney as a Republican on Saturday, are close family members of her Trump-backed primary opponent Harriet Hageman, Cheney laughed. 

“Well, I won the majority of the non-Hageman vote so I'm proud of that,” she said. 

As the votes on the resolution to censure Rep. Paul Gosar are coming in, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been greeted by a steady stream of her colleagues, often standing in large groups as they all show their support for her. 

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee gave Ocasio-Cortez a hug. Rep. Jamie Raskin gave Ocasio-Cortez a fist bump and a hug. 

Some context: Gosar is under fire for posting a photoshopped anime video to social media showing him appearing to kill Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.

During her remarks, Ocasio-Cortez pushed back against the lack of condemnation by the Republican party.

As the House votes on the resolution to censure him, GOP Rep. Paul Gosar is standing in a group in the back of the House floor.

Those around him include GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who Democrats stripped of her committee assignments earlier this year, GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert and outgoing Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Biggs.

The House has not voted to censure a sitting member in more than 10 years.

The House is voting now on the resolution to censure GOP Rep. Paul Gosar for posting a photoshopped anime video to social media showing him appearing to kill Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.

The vote comes after lawmakers debated the resolution on the House floor.

If passed, the resolution strips Gosar of his two committee assignments. The vote marks the first time the House voted to censure a sitting member in more than 10 years.

The last time a member was censured was in 2010, when former Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York was censured by his own party over various ethics violations. Afterward, Rangel was recognized to address the House for one minute. 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer urged other lawmakers to vote "yes" on the resolution to censure GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, saying that it is not about partisan politics, it is about "decency" and "security for our members."

Hoyer argued this vote was about the "rule of law" and "no one, Democrat or Republican ought to be involved to engage in the promotion of violence against a fellow member or indeed a fellow American."

His comments came after some Republican lawmakers accused Democrats of holding double standards and not responding to members of their own party the same way.

"I'm certain my fellow Democrats will do the same because this is not about party. It's not about politics. It's not about partisanship. It's about decorum, civility, safety, and yes, the rule of law," Hoyer said.

Hoyer also argued that as elected officials, lawmakers "speak for the American people." This means their actions must reflect "the highest standards of American society."

"It is disgusting, madame speaker, whenever someone out in the world tweets a threat of violence or hateful content, but when a member of the house does so – no matter how you rationalize it, no matter how you try to put lipstick on that pig – it is a threat of violence," Hoyer said. "What Representative Gosar did last week is not just worthy of censure, it demands it."

"I urge my colleagues to vote yes on both sides of the aisle. To uphold a standard that should be critical to us all," Hoyer said in closing.