Washington, D.C. – In an unusual turn of events, Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman triggered a fire alarm on Saturday within a Capitol office building just before a critical House vote on a stopgap measure aimed at averting a government shutdown.
The activation of the fire alarm necessitated the evacuation of the Cannon House office building and incited strong reactions from Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who drew parallels between Bowman’s actions and the events of the January 6th Capitol riot.
Expressing his dismay, McCarthy remarked, “I was genuinely appalled by the actions of Democrats today, in their efforts to delay and potentially cause a government shutdown.” He addressed Democratic complaints about insufficient time to review a last-minute bill introduced by Republicans in their bid to prevent a government shutdown.
“This marks a new low,” McCarthy asserted, going on to say, “We’ve witnessed how individuals have been treated when they have acted inappropriately within this Capitol. It will be intriguing to observe how Representative Bowman is dealt with and what obstruction he may have intended concerning the interests of the American public.”
Brian Steil, a Republican Representative from Wisconsin and chair of the House administration committee, announced that an official investigation into the incident is currently underway.
Georgia’s Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her call for the Department of Justice to prosecute Bowman “using the same law they used to prosecute J6 defendants for interfering with an official proceeding.”
Furthermore, Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis from New York stated her intention to draft a resolution for Bowman’s expulsion, emphasizing, “This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school. This action warrants expulsion, and I’m introducing a resolution to do just that.”
Elise Stefanik, another Republican Representative, echoed these sentiments via Twitter, stating, “A Democratic member of Congress just committed a felony by pulling the fire alarm to try to delay and stop a Congressional vote to fund the government.”
In Washington, D.C., falsely activating a fire alarm is classified as a misdemeanor.
A spokesperson for Representative Bowman released a statement to The Hill, explaining, “Congressman Bowman did not anticipate triggering a building alarm as he rushed to cast an urgent vote,” and added, “The congressman regrets any confusion.”
Bowman, speaking to reporters, mentioned, “I thought the alarm would open the door.”
At present, it remains uncertain whether legal action will be pursued against Bowman.
The 45-day funding resolution, which ultimately received support from Bowman and the majority of Democrats, passed the House with a vote of 335-91. The bill now proceeds to the Democrat-majority Senate, where lawmakers must act before midnight on Sunday to secure its passage and send it to President Joe Biden for signing, thus averting a government shutdown.
