House Votes to Censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman for Triggering Fire Alarm

Bowman Faces Discipline for Pulling Alarm in House Office

Washington, D.C. -

The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York for triggering a fire alarm in a House office. The censure is the latest in a series of partisan punishments handed down by the House in recent months.

Bowman was censured for pulling a fire alarm in the Longworth House Office Building in June. The alarm was triggered after Bowman claimed he smelled smoke, but no fire was ever found. The censure resolution, which was introduced by Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, accused Bowman of "abusing his authority" and "disrupting the orderly conduct of the House."

Bowman has defended his actions, saying that he pulled the alarm because he believed there was a real fire. However, the House Ethics Committee found that Bowman's actions were "rash and reckless" and that he "failed to exercise due diligence" before pulling the alarm.

The censure resolution passed the House by a vote of 221-204, with all Republicans voting in favor of the resolution and all Democrats voting against it. Bowman is the third member of Congress to be censured in the past year.