New York Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman denies allegations that he was trying to delay a vote by pulling the fire alarm and claimed he mistakenly thought it would open the door.
“Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open," he wrote on X, formerly called Twitter. "I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused.”
“But I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote,” he added. “It was the exact opposite – I was trying urgently to get to a vote, which I ultimately did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to keep our government open. I also met after the vote with the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police, at their request, and explained what had happened."
Bowman is currently under investigation after video footage showed him pulling the Cannon fire alarm ahead of a motion to adjourn, according to reports.
Some GOP colleagues have called for him to be expelled for allegedly attempting to delay a vote.
"This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school," New York GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis wrote on social media. "This action warrants expulsion & I’m introducing a resolution to do just that."
Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for Bowman to be prosecuted by the Department of Justice.
"Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulled the fire alarm in the Cannon building this afternoon and interrupted the official proceedings of the House as Republicans worked to keep the government open," Greene wrote on X.
"I’m calling on the DOJ to prosecute him using the same law they used to prosecute J6 defendants for interfering with an official proceeding," she continued. "The Democrats literally will do anything to shut OUR government down because billions aren’t going to their favorite country: Ukraine."
