House censures ‘Squad’ member Jamaal Bowman for pulling Capitol fire alarm

The House censured Rep. Jamaal Bowman on Thursday as punishment for sounding a false fire alarm ahead of a crucial vote on Sept. 30.

The House voted 214 to 191 in favor of Rep. Lisa McClain’s resolution to censure Mr. Bowman, New York Democrat, for pulling the fire alarm. Mr. Bowman previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor crime in the District for pulling the fire alarm knowing there wasn’t a fire.

The censure was backed by three Democrats and nearly every Republican, while five lawmakers voted present.

Mr. Bowman became the third Democratic lawmaker this year to be censured, which is a formal reprimand from the chamber that falls short of expulsion.

Reps. Adam Schiff of California and Rashida Tlaib were previously censured.

The censure resolution said the fire alarm incident forced a building in the Capitol complex to be evacuated and “disrupted the work of Congress” ahead of a floor vote on a stopgap spending bill to prevent a government shutdown.

Mr. Bowman admitted to pulling the fire alarm but disputed accusations that he did it to disrupt floor proceedings. He was charged with a misdemeanor by the D.C. Attorney General for making a false alarm. He pleaded guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors in which he was sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine and write an apology letter to the U.S. Capitol Police chief.

“I immediately took responsibility for my actions and plead guilty, immediately,” Mr. Bowman said. “The legal process on this matter has played out, in no way did I obstruct official proceedings, the vote took place and democrats were able to ensure we avoided a government shutdown.”

Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland was the only Republican who did not support the censure. He voted present.

The three Democrats who broke ranks to support the censure were Reps. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

The House last week expelled George Santos, a move that drew criticism from Republican leadership and rank-and-file members because it set a precedent for expelling a Congress member who had not been convicted of a crime. Mr. Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges and is awaiting trial.

Critics argued that Mr. Santos did not get due process and that the move was premature until he faced his day in court. They also questioned why the disgraced Republican was being targeted, but not Mr. Bowman, who pleaded guilty.

“It would be hypocritical for the House Democrats to not join us in holding one of their own members accountable who actually plead guilty to breaking the law,” said Mrs. McClain, Michigan Republican.

She argued that Mr. Bowman, a former school principal, should be able to hold himself to the same standards as his former students. 

Democrats balked at the censure, accusing the Republican majority of wasting the chamber’s time. 

Rep. James McGovern, Massachusetts Democrat, called the censure “profoundly stupid,” adding that Republicans have “focused more on censuring people in this Congress than passing bills that help people.”

He said the House should be talking about important issues such as gun violence, especially after Wednesday’s shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, that killed three people. 

“I mean honestly, what the hell is wrong with you,” Mr. McGovern said.