Rep. Al Green on Disrupting Trump’s Congress Speech: ‘My Conscience Dictated that I Do What I Did’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
Joining me now is congressman Al Green, Democrat of Texas. Congressman, you said in a recent interview that President Trump, quote. Uses his incivility to take advantage of our civility. Do you think your colleagues in the Democratic Party are being too civil during this time when American rights and freedoms are literally on the line?
>> Well.
>> Thank you for having me.
>> I think we’re.
>> At a point where.
>> We’re making decisions as to how we should move forward.
>> I believe.
>> That we have to move forward with righteous incivility.
>> This is.
>> What we.
>> Engaged in when we.
>> Sang we shall.
>> Overcome and what. I engaged in when.
>> I stood and indicated that the president didn’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid. Medicaid is so important to so many in my state. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured persons in the country, and it has such because it refused to expand its Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. We offered Texas a $100 billion, which Texas rejected. Now, with reference to my colleagues, I have said the things that I do are of conscience. My conscience dictated that I do what I did. I am prepared to accept whatever.
>> The punishment is.
>> I don’t have to agree with it, but I can accept it because that’s what peaceful protest demands. First, it demands that you get in the way. This is what John Lewis used to say, which means you’re disruptive. And then you have to be prepared to suffer the consequences. I think that that would be inappropriate.
>> For the.
>> Speaker to do or.
>> My colleagues, but I’m prepared to.
>> Suffer the consequences. And by the way, candidly, and this is not to insult anyone, I.