Democratic lawmakers are openly grumbling about the increased use of censure in recent years and are looking to address it. House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to be on board with the effort.
Multiple lawmakers tell Axios that they view the uptick in censure efforts as a weapon being wielded for partisan reasons. And, in their view, something needs to be done to stop it.
"I am in camp 'shut this s*** down,'" Democrat Rep. Jim Himes (CT-4) said of the public reprimand. "We'll spend the next year censuring each other. It's bulls***. We need due process."
His colleague, Democrat Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8), wants to up the threshold for a successful censure. Current standards require a simple majority.
"I've been circulating legislation ... to move it to 60%," Beyer told the outlet, adding, "we're just using it as a partisan tool, which I hate."
Even beyond that, the congressman claims some others in the House would like to see it increased to a two-thirds majority.
NEW: Rep. Don Beyer is circulating a bill to raise the threshold for censure.
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) November 20, 2025
He’s eyeing a 60% threshold, but some want to go even higher.
Speaker Johnson told @axios he is “open” to this idea after a week filled w/ censures.
w/ @kate_santaliz https://t.co/h2sFGdknXE
It's Time for Rashida Tlaib's Expulsion From Congress
This latest report comes amid a flurry of back-and-forth censure efforts, all of which have a high degree of validity.
An effort to censure Democrat Del. Stacey Plaskett (VI-At Large) for literally texting with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing and steering her questioning of a witness at his direction failed earlier this week.
Democrats countered by threatening to censure Republican Rep. Cory Mills (FL-7), who, various reports contend, has allegations of domestic violence and sexual misconduct, stolen valor, making false financial disclosures, and committing campaign finance violations hanging over his head. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-1) forced that effort to a vote, since Mills keeps being used by Democrats as leverage to protect their own. It was referred to the House Ethics Committee on Wednesday.
Now, Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) is also facing a censure threat after being indicted for allegedly stealing $5 million in a FEMA funds scheme.
A frustrated House Speaker expressed interest in lifting the threshold for censures, indicating he is "open" to a conversation on the matter.
"We don't want this to become commonplace," Johnson said. "It should be an extreme measure for extreme cases."
“How many Republicans were on Epstein’s payroll?”
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 19, 2025
A Democrat openly admitted to colluding with Jeffrey Epstein to attack Donald Trump and Republicans still wouldn’t censure her. pic.twitter.com/3Pk1qbCH2C
That's all well and good, but where was this effort to raise the threshold for censure when Republican Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-9) was formally censured by the House of Representatives and stripped of his committee assignments in 2021 for posting an anime cartoon video on the internet?
An anime cartoon.
This is an obvious ploy. Democrats are only interested in tightening up requirements now because their members have repeatedly engaged in actions worthy of censure. And they've had their bluff called now on their only bargaining chip in Mills, who is also worthy of the same. Additionally, the Democrats know that when it comes to protecting their members, they are and always will be united. Any censure effort for their party in the future would likely fail on a party-line vote under new requirements.
Plaskett, working in tandem with a sex trafficker, should have passed. Cherfilus-McCormick's situation is so bad (allegedly) that they should skip straight to expulsion. Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-5), who was ironically saved by a gutless vote on the part of Mills, should have been censured in September for her reprehensible comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
It goes on:
- Former Rep. and current Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was censured in 2023 for using his role as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee to leak information to the media in an effort to promote the Russia collusion hoax.
- Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) was censured that same year for anti-Israel comments and for promoting war propaganda from Hamas.
- Former Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman was censured a month later for intentionally pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building to disrupt a vote to fund the government. Disrupting a government proceeding led to many people being imprisoned after January 6th.
- Democrat Rep. Al Green (TX-9) was censured earlier this year for repeatedly interrupting President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, shouting like a madman before being forcibly removed.
Being censured is little more than getting a wrap on the kuckles with a ruler. Which one of the above actions is not worthy of a gentle reprimand? Aside from Gosar's.
Nothing quite shows the House is out of touch with reality than an effort to make it harder to police its own members. Here's an idea—If you don't want censure to be used so frequently, maybe stop doing bats*** crazy things.
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