(RepublianView.org) – The House of Representatives passed a bill to formally censure Democrat Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in the House during a crucial debate on government funding in September. The New York Representative said he pulled the alarm in error but he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after striking a deal with the Washington, DC, Attorney General’s office. Rep. Bowman was placed on a three-month probation period and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
On December 7, the House of Representatives, by a vote of 214 to 191, agreed to reprimand the Bronx and Westchester lawmaker with the support of three of his fellow Democrats. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington voted against their colleague, while Rep. Dave Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, said Bowman had every opportunity “to diffuse the situation” at the time but “chose not to alert” police to the incident and showed a “shameful disregard for public safety.”
Mr. Joyce, who sits on the House Ethics Committee, released a statement saying he was “shocked and disappointed” that the majority on the committee refused to pursue further action against Bowman when the matter came up for debate. Joyce added that because the House Ethics Committee wouldn’t be taking the case, he thought it was “appropriate” to censure him.
The condemnation of Bowman’s conduct by the House comes only days after it voted to expel New York Rep. George Santos, and weeks after censuring Democrat Rashida Tlaib for comments about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Santos admitted to lying during his election campaign and faced several accusations of dishonesty and fraud, whereas Rep. Tlaib was rebuked for defending a controversial chant, which is considered by many to be a call for the destruction of the Jewish state.
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