Lead
On the evening of Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) confronted fellow Republicans on the House floor after a party-backed effort to censure Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.) failed. The chamber rejected the censure motion 209-214-3, with three Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. The defeat led Democrats to decline a reciprocal censure push against Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who has faced a recent court-ordered restraining order in a dispute with an ex-girlfriend.
Key Takeaways
- The House voted 209-214-3 on the measure to censure Del. Stacey Plaskett and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee.
- Three Republicans — Reps. Don Bacon (Neb.), Lance Gooden (Texas) and David Joyce (Ohio) — voted “no” alongside all Democrats.
- Three Republicans — Reps. Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), Dan Meuser (Pa.) and Jay Obernolte (Calif.) — recorded “present” on the resolution.
- After the Plaskett censure failed, House Democrats chose not to call up a planned censure resolution targeting Rep. Cory Mills.
- Mills was recently the subject of a Florida county judge’s restraining order granted last month at the request of an ex-girlfriend, an allegation Mills has contested.
- Boebert, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, vocally rebuked colleagues on the floor and approached Mills during the post-vote exchanges.
Background
The censure motion was prompted by newly released documents indicating Del. Plaskett consulted with Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 hearing. GOP members of the House Intelligence Committee and the broader conservative House flank pushed for Plaskett’s removal, framing the matter as a breach of committee trust.
Historically, censure actions on the House floor are rare and politically charged; recent cycles have seen reciprocal efforts stall when one party lacks unified support. The present episode mirrored previous clashes where partisan calculations and internal dissent within each conference influenced whether leadership pressed consequences.
Republican lawmakers who opposed or abstained from the Plaskett motion cited procedural concerns or a desire to avoid escalating tit-for-tat sanctions. Democrats have publicly signaled that they would consider disciplining Republicans in comparable circumstances, including the matter involving Rep. Cory Mills.
Main Event
During the late-night session, roll-call results showed the Plaskett censure falling short by five votes. The three GOP “no” votes and three present votes were decisive in the outcome; their actions undercut the unified front some conservatives sought.
Immediately after the tally, tensions rose on the floor. Observers and reporters in the press gallery said Boebert shouted at Republican colleagues and wagged a finger in visible frustration. Her remarks were loud enough to draw attention but were not fully audible on public recordings.
At one point Boebert approached Rep. Cory Mills and pointed while raising her voice; the exchange lasted only moments before floor activity resumed. The heated behavior underscored internal strain among Republicans over disciplinary strategy and standards of conduct.
Democrats, noting the failed censure against Plaskett, opted not to pursue their planned resolution to censure Mills that evening. Party leaders indicated they would weigh timing and prospects for success before bringing up disciplinary motions in the future.
Analysis & Implications
The episode highlights growing fissures within the House GOP: a vocal conservative wing demanding punishments and a small but consequential bloc of Republicans wary of intra-chamber reprisals or precedent-setting votes. The six Republicans who cast “no” or “present” effectively signaled that unity cannot be assumed even on high-profile disciplinary matters.
For Democrats, declining to immediately pursue censure of Mills reflected a tactical calculation. Bringing a censure vote without certain votes risks political optics of partisanship; it also would have escalated negative attention on both parties and might have failed to achieve a clear, bipartisan rebuke.
Institutionally, the incident raises questions about the House’s disciplinary norms. If leaders on both sides avoid pursuing censure when outcomes are uncertain, the chamber may rely increasingly on informal sanctions, committee assignments, or private negotiations rather than public votes to address alleged misconduct.
Politically, the confrontation helps illustrate how individual members like Boebert can amplify intra-party disputes into high-drama confrontations that shape public narratives about party cohesion heading into future legislative fights and campaign cycles.
Comparison & Data
| Category | Count | Notable Members |
|---|---|---|
| Yes (censure Plaskett) | 209 | Majority of Republicans |
| No | 214 | All Democrats + Bacon, Gooden, Joyce |
| Present | 3 | Garbarino, Meuser, Obernolte |
The numerical breakdown shows the vote failed despite a large Republican majority in the chamber, demonstrating the leverage a handful of dissenting votes can exert on disciplinary measures. In recent cycles, successful censure motions have typically required tighter party cohesion or cross-party consensus.
Reactions & Quotes
Members quickly framed the night in partisan terms on the floor and to reporters. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna raised a parliamentary inquiry alleging impropriety in how leadership handled the potential reciprocal censures.
“I was wondering if the Speaker of the House of Representatives can explain why leadership on both sides, both Democrat and Republican, are cutting back-end deals to cover up public corruption in the House of Representatives,”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.)
Luna’s inquiry was ruled not a proper parliamentary question by the presiding chair; still, it signaled continuing frustration among members seeking transparent accountability. Boebert vocally supported Luna’s challenge from the floor.
“Get it, girl.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.)
That short exclamation followed Luna’s remarks and underscored the partisan theater on display. Other members, including some who voted against the Plaskett measure, cited procedural concerns or insufficient evidence as their reasons.
Unconfirmed
- The existence of any backroom “cutting back-end deals” between party leaders to avoid reciprocal censures remains unverified outside members’ public statements.
- Boebert’s full remarks immediately after the vote are not on the public record and could not be independently corroborated from available recordings.
- Any private negotiations that led Democrats to decline the Mills censure vote have not been disclosed or confirmed by leadership statements.
Bottom Line
The failed Plaskett censure and the ensuing confrontation led by Rep. Lauren Boebert reveal fissures within the Republican conference and illustrate the strategic hesitancy both parties exercise around public disciplinary actions. A small number of dissenting votes can prevent a party from exerting formal sanctions even when leadership pushes for them.
Expect continued skirmishes over discipline in the House, with leaders on both sides weighing optics, vote math and precedent before advancing censure or removal moves. The episode also makes clear that high-profile interpersonal clashes on the floor will remain a feature of the chamber’s dynamics as the session continues.