Bowman Censured by House for Triggering Fire Alarm

House Votes to Advance GOP-Led Resolution

The House of Representatives voted on Thursday, March 9, 2023, to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York for triggering a fire alarm in a House office building. The censure resolution, which was introduced by Republican Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, passed by a vote of 223 to 194. All Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, voted in favor of the resolution.

Bowman Apologizes for Incident

Bowman has apologized for the incident, which occurred on December 8, 2022. He has said that he pulled the fire alarm after smelling smoke in his office, but that he did not realize that the smoke was coming from a malfunctioning coffee maker. The fire alarm caused the evacuation of the House office building and disrupted business for several hours.

The censure resolution accuses Bowman of "conduct unbecoming a Member of the House of Representatives" and says that his actions "undermined the safety and security of the House and its Members." The resolution also calls for Bowman to be removed from his committee assignments.

Bowman has defended his actions, saying that he was acting in the best interests of his staff and colleagues. He has also said that he is being unfairly targeted by Republicans.