The Use of Censuring and Silencing in Politics
Important Definitions:
- Censure
- A: to find fault with and criticize as blameworthy
- B: to reprimand someone formally) : to express official censure of (someone)
- Censuring someone is not a power provided by the Constitution. However, it has been adopted into the internal rules of both the House and Senate and allows them to draft and approve a resolution that will be placed into public records detailing an official’s actions.
- Silencing occurs when a member of Congress is barred from speaking in committee or on the floor due to their behavior.
Recently, Republicans have used these two acts in an attempt to punish Democrats for simply doing their jobs. This was seen on June 14 when the House rejected a Republican-backed effort to censure Democratic Representative Adam Schiff from California. Republicans attempted to censure Schiff over his role in congressional investigations of former president Donald Trump in an attempt to end the public reprimands Trump faces. The vote failed as 20 Republicans crossed the isle in opposition to the resolution, resulting in a final vote of 225 to 196. After the vote, Schiff tweeted “MAGA Republicans are going after me because I dared to hold Donald trump accountable.” However, on June 21, Republicans made a second attempt to censure Representative Schiff which did pass. The resolution was met with boos from the Democratic side of the isle, and Schiff called the resolution defamatory.
Earlier this year, Montana’s Republican House Speaker Matt Regier silenced Democratic Representative Zooey Zephyr, barring her from speaking on the House floor until she issued an apology to Republicans. Zephyr, a transgender legislator, protested a bill banning gender-affirming healthcare for minors. The bill was signed into law two days after the Republican House majority voted to censure Zephyr and exclude her from the remainder of the legislative session. Zephyr stated “if you vote yes on this bill…I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.” Zephyr recognized that by further stigmatizing transgender youths, suicide rates for minors in Montana are likely to rise. However, Republicans denied this bill causing potential spikes in suicide rates despite scientific studies showing that 82 percent of transgender individuals have reported having suicidal thoughts and 40 percent reporting they have attempted suicide.
Why is this Important?
When used properly, censuring and silencing can limit abusive rhetoric. This was best seen when Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green was silenced after having an outburst during a hearing, calling Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a “liar.” The outburst took up a considerable amount of time and threatened to overshadow Mayorka’s testimony, with fellow Republicans becoming increasingly frustrated with Greene. However, Republicans have begun using censuring and silencing as form of passive-aggressive outbursts when they are held accountable for their actions. It is likely that these outbursts will continue as we head into the 2024 elections due to mounting pressure against former president Trump. Politicians holding one another accountable is a process of this nation’s checks and balances system and must not be threatened.
At Rideshare2Vote, we are committed to ensuring voters have all the information ahead of elections in order to make the most informed decisions at the polls. We support democracy working as intended and to the benefit of the voters. We do not support power-trips from those afraid of being held accountable for their dangerous and extreme actions.
by Delany Doggett
