OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A growing number of Republicans have called for prosecuting Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) under the same statutes that President Joe Biden’s Justice Department is using to prosecute hundreds of Jan. 6 demonstrators who entered the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.
The calls come after Bowman admitted to pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon Office Building, which Republicans claim was done to obstruct a critical government funding bill the GOP majority was set to pass.
“Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote,” a Bowman representative said in a statement, The Western Journal reported. “The Congressman regrets any confusion.”
Statement from Congressman Jamaal Bowman. pic.twitter.com/v6qjdHNI7T
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) October 1, 2023
Bowman also put out a statement claiming that he was not “in any way trying to delay any vote.” He said he also met with authorities after the incident, adding that his “hope is that no one will make more of this than it was.”
A photo of Bowman allegedly pulling the alarm quickly made the rounds on social media.
BREAKING: Capitol police release photo of Jamaal Bowman pulling the fire alarm. pic.twitter.com/XpUoEu9lU4
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 30, 2023
House Administration Committee Chair Republican Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) said the matter is under investigation. “Rep. Jamal Bowman pulled a fire alarm in Cannon this morning. An investigation into why it was pulled is underway,” he said in a statement.
Now, Republicans are demanding that he be subjected to various criminal statutes, including allegedly making a false fire alarm and obstructing Congress, the latter of which most of the Jan. 6 protesters were charged with.
Jamaal Bowman just committed an actual crime https://t.co/6vgGVrvkwU pic.twitter.com/BhvSCSwCac
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 30, 2023
“NY Democrat Jamaal Bowman literally pulled a fire alarm to stall and prevent our efforts to force a vote to keep the federal government open. Pathetic. Criminal investigation needs to happen,” Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) said, according to the New York Post.
“This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school. To pull the fire alarm to disrupt proceedings when we are trying to draft legislation to AVERT A SHUTDOWN is pathetic…even for members of the socialist squad,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) added.
This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school. To pull the fire alarm to disrupt proceedings when we are trying to draft legislation to AVERT A SHUTDOWN is pathetic…even for members of the socialist squad. https://t.co/hcqD7hOcDr
— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) September 30, 2023
“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,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) noted in a post on the X platform that included a video clip of her calling for the Justice Department to go after Bowman.
“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. The Democrats literally will do anything to shut OUR government down because billions aren’t going to their favorite country: Ukraine,” she wrote.
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.
I’m calling on the DOJ to prosecute him using the same law they used to prosecute J6… pic.twitter.com/KlXjwVrkc1
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 30, 2023
As a result of Bowman’s alleged actions, the Cannon Building had to be evacuated, which led to a delay in the vote on the continuing resolution funding measure.
“In a desperate attempt to buy leftists more time to further destroy our country and prevent us from funding the government, it appears Rep. Jamaal Bowman may have been caught red-handed on camera falsely pulling a fire alarm and causing evacuations. He should be charged and prosecuted immediately!” Rep. Lauren Bobert (R-Colo.) noted on the X platform.
The Western Journal noted further:
The alarm was pulled shortly after House Republicans said they would push a stopgap funding bill to a floor vote in hopes of averting a government shutdown.
According to The New York Times, the bill passed 335-91, attracting 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans in support. The bill did not include funding for Ukraine, which had been in various Senate versions of continuing resolutions needed to keep government office open Monday.
The Senate ultimately passed the measure, which did not contain any new funding for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
