Being censured in Congress means the House or Senate has formally condemned a member’s conduct through a resolution. Censure is serious institutional discipline, but it does not itself remove the member from office. It differs from expulsion, which requires the constitutionally specified two-thirds concurrence.
Where the power comes from
Article I, section 5 authorizes each chamber to determine its rules and punish members for disorderly behavior. Censure developed as a form of that disciplinary power even though the Constitution does not use the word. The Senate describes it as formal disapproval adopted by majority vote. [1]
The conduct can involve internal rules, ethics, misuse of office, or other behavior the chamber considers unacceptable. A censure resolution does not require the same elements or burden of proof as a criminal conviction.
House and Senate practice
In the House, censure ordinarily involves the member standing in the well while the Speaker or presiding officer reads the resolution and preamble aloud. House history distinguishes censure from the less severe reprimand and from expulsion. [2]
The Senate’s censure practice is not identical to the House ceremony. Its historical description makes clear that censure alone does not remove a senator or deny the senator’s rights and privileges. Any additional sanction must be identified separately rather than assumed from the word “censure.” [1]
What changes after a censure?
The resolution creates a formal public record of the chamber’s judgment. Political consequences can include reputational damage, pressure to resign, or electoral effects. Committee assignments or other positions may become separate subjects of action, but censure does not automatically decide every such issue.
For example, a member may remain entitled to vote after being censured while also facing an independently adopted committee action. A news report should distinguish the two decisions instead of attributing both effects to censure.
How to read a specific case
- Find the adopted resolution and vote, rather than only a proposed measure.
- Identify which chamber acted and what conduct it condemned.
- Separate censure from additional sanctions and outside proceedings.
See congressional immunity and its limits for a different question about legal protection, and pro forma sessions for congressional procedure. Neither immunity nor a chamber’s schedule changes the basic distinction between condemnation and removal from office.
Primary sources
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.