The House is set to vote to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Brown after the lawmaker pulled a fire alarm in a Capitol office building that caused a chamber session to be temporarily delayed.
The Republican censure resolution passed with only a few Democratic votes as the majority of the left-wing party stood by Bowman in opposition to an effort that they argued lacked credibility and integrity.
Jamaal Bowman Censure Vote
The lawmaker now becomes the third Democratic House member to be admonished this year through the censure process. It is a punishment that is one step below expulsion from the House.
In a statement on Wednesday, Bowman said that it was painfully obvious to himself, his colleagues, and the American people that the GOP is "deeply unserious and unable to legislate." He added that the censure efforts against him demonstrated their inability to govern and serve the people of the nation.
The vote to censure Bowman ended with a tally of 214-191 and comes after nearly a year of chaos and retribution in the House of Representatives.
The chamber has seen the removal of a member from a committee assignment, the first ouster of a speaker in the history of the U.S., and the expulsion of a lawmaker since just the beginning of this year, as per the Associated Press.
The censure resolution was introduced by Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, who claimed that Bowman pulled the fire alarm in September on purpose. She argued that the Democrat did so to "cause chaos and to stop the House from doing its business." It was during a time when lawmakers were scrambling to pass a bill to avert a government shutdown.
In her statement, McClain said that it was reprehensible that a member of Congress would make such efforts to prevent House Republicans from bringing forth a vote to keep the government working and the American people receiving their paychecks.
Pulling of a Fire Alarm
In October, Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count for the indictment, which took place in the Cannon House Office Building. The Democrat agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months of probation. After that, the false fire alarm charge is expected to be dismissed from his record under an agreement with prosecutors.
Video and eyewitness testimony regarding the incident revealed that Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on the Capitol complex. This was done despite there being no emergency going on at the time, according to Fox News.
Later on, Bowman denied pulling the fire alarm on purpose and said that he was rushing to make a vote and tried to get through a door. He claimed that he thought that the switch he pulled would open that door.
A censure is considered to be a rare move made by lawmakers but Republican efforts have resulted in the censure of two other Democrats since June. After the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson called for Bowman to present himself in the well of the House chamber, said CNN.
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