Rep. Jamaal Bowman Censured by House for Fire Alarm Incident: NPR
- The House of Representatives has voted to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman for triggering a fire alarm in a U.S. Capitol office building while the chamber was in session. The censure resolution was passed with a few Democratic votes, marking the third time this year that a Democratic House member has been penalized through this process. Bowman had previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for the incident and served three months of probation.
- Many progressive Democrats, including Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have criticized the Republicans’ use of the censure process, accusing them of weaponizing it for political gain. They have argued that the Republicans’ focus on censuring individuals detracts from discussion on important issues and passing bills that benefit the public.
- This episode is part of a broader trend in which the House of Representatives has increasingly used punishments such as censure, typically seen as a last resort. Bowman is the 27th person to be censured by the chamber and the third person this year, following the censure of Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Democrat Adam Schiff of California earlier this year.
House members voted Thursday to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who triggered a fire alarm in a U.S. Capitol office building during a session. This Republican-sponsored resolution passed with a minority of Democratic votes, making Bowman the third Democrat to be admonished this year via the censure process, a punishment one step below expulsion.
“It’s clear to all that the Republican Party is unable to legislate,” Bowman said in his defense, accusing Republicans of governance and service failure.
The vote to censure Bowman follows a tumultuous year in the House of Representatives, marked by committee assignment removals, unprecedented ousting of a speaker, and expulsion of a lawmaker for only the third time since the Civil War.
Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich, who proposed the censure resolution, contended that Bowman triggered the alarm in September to disrupt House proceedings during a critical government funding bill decision.
Having pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count for the incident, Bowman agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months probation, after which the charge is expected to be dismissed from his record under an agreement with prosecutors.
Bowman apologized, stating that he was attempting to pass through a usually open door which was shut that day. Progressive Democrats have rallied to his defense, labeling the Republican-led censure motion as a frivolous attempt to exploit the process for political advantage.
“The chamber has started resorting to punishments like censure, traditionally a last-resort measure, routinely and in distinctly partisan ways,” said one member. The censure carries no practical effect, but amounts to severe reproach from colleagues as censured lawmakers are asked to stand in the House while the censure resolution is read aloud.
Bowman is the 27th person and the third this year to be censured by the House. Previously, Democrats Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Adam Schiff of California were censured over comments relating to the Israel-Hamas war and investigations into President Trump’s ties to Russia, respectively.
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