The House of Representatives has just voted to censure Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman – the Congressman responsible for falsely pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill building back in September just prior to a vote on a measure to avert government shutdown.
Check it out:
BREAKING: The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a vote of 214-191. Means nothing. He should be expelled. pic.twitter.com/m6gki5os99
— Suburban Black Man 🇺🇸 (@niceblackdude) December 7, 2023
JUST IN: House CENSURES Rep. Jamaal Bowman after it was proven he intentionally pulled a fire alarm at the Capitol.. pic.twitter.com/Xt3W3pRXwy
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) December 7, 2023
Rep. Bowman has already been found guilty and charged for a misdemeanor over the fire alarm stunt.
Reuters on MSN has more:
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to censure Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm while trying to use a locked exit in September as lawmakers prepared to vote on a measure to avert a government shutdown.
The motion was brought forward by Republican Representative Lisa McClain, and passed with a final tally of 214 to 191 with five voting present in the Republican-controlled House.
Bowman, who represents a district that includes suburbs just north of New York City, pulled a fire alarm in a House office building in late September while trying to get to a Saturday vote, according to security camera footage.
He said at the time that he thought the alarm would unlock the door, which is usually unlocked during the week when lawmakers are normally in session.
He pled guilty to a misdemeanor over the incident, after being charged by the D.C. attorney general.
CBS News on MSN also reported:
The 214-191 vote fell largely along party lines. Three Democrats voted with Republicans to censure Bowman, while four Democrats and one Republican voted “present.” Twenty-four members did not vote.
Bowman is the third House lawmaker to be censured this year and the 27th in the history of the House of Representatives.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, Bowman said he has “expressed deep regret, apologized for my mistake, and taken accountability for my actions,” noting that the House Ethics Committee declined to investigate the matter further.
“This Republican House is unserious and unproductive, and I know that their efforts to target me are a testament to the importance of my voice in pushing back against their disingenuous rhetoric and harmful policies,” he said.
Rep. Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican, forced a vote on the matter by introducing the resolution to censure Bowman as privileged on Tuesday, giving the House two legislative days to vote on it.
Democrats tried to prevent it from advancing on Wednesday but the vote on a motion to table it fell short of a simple majority.
Bowman pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor charge for activating a fire alarm that led to the office building’s evacuation before a last-minute vote to fund the government in September. He agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months of probation.
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