In a rare move, the House of Representatives has voted to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, for pulling the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building back in September. This marks the third time this year that a Democrat has been censured by the House.
The censure vote took place on Thursday, with three Democrats, Reps. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Jahana Hays of Connecticut, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, joining Republicans in passing the bill. Several other Democrats, including Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, Glenn Ivey of Maryland, and Deborah Ross of North Carolina, chose to vote present. Republican Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland also voted present.
The resolution to censure Rep. Bowman was introduced by Michigan GOP Rep. Lisa McClain, which required the House to take up the measure within two legislative days. Bowman had already pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and agreed to pay a fine of $1,000.
The incident occurred during a day of intense negotiations on Capitol Hill to avert a government shutdown. As Democrats stalled for more time before a vote on the House GOP’s funding extension, chaos broke out when the fire alarm went off in the Cannon House Office Building, leading to an evacuation. It was later revealed that Rep. Bowman had pulled the alarm, despite there being no emergency at the time.
Bowman initially denied doing it on purpose, claiming that he was rushing to make a vote and thought the alarm would open the door. However, video footage and eyewitness testimony contradicted his explanation.
Despite efforts by Democrats to stop the censure vote, it ultimately proceeded, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accusing House Republicans of wasting time on trivial matters. Jeffries criticized their focus on fire alarms instead of pressing issues such as the economy, inflation, affordable housing, and gun violence.
This censure makes Rep. Bowman the 27th lawmaker to face such action in the House. The decision has sparked debate and raised questions about the appropriateness of his actions and the significance of the censure.
It remains to be seen how this censure will impact Rep. Bowman’s political career and whether it will have broader implications for the Democratic Party. As the 2024 campaign trail heats up, this incident adds another layer of scrutiny to the actions of politicians on both sides of the aisle.
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