1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The vote to censure Rep. Al Green was a regrettable display of disunity among Democrats. While reasonable people may disagree on the appropriateness of his protest, party leadership should have united members against this harsh rebuke. Green's actions, however disruptive, stemmed from sincere concerns over the president's policies impacting vulnerable communities. Censuring a colleague for voicing dissent sets a troubling precedent that could chill free expression going forward. Disagreement and civil disobedience have long been legitimate forms of political speech, as the example of Rep. John Lewis reminds us. Rather than joining the Republican effort to silence Green, Democratic leaders should have stood firm in defending his right to peaceful protest. The 10 Democrats who broke ranks missed an opportunity to demonstrate principled opposition to the president's agenda. At a time when so much is at stake for American families, the party must fight harder to protect essential programs like Medicaid from draconian cuts. Moving forward, a united Democratic caucus upholding the rights of minority voices will be crucial to effectively challenging misguided policies that disregard the people's best interests.