By Cullen McCue
A number of Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have called for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) to be arrested after he pulled a fire alarm, which led to an evacuation of the Cannon Building on Capitol Hill. Bowman’s office has claimed that he thought he was simply opening a door, though House Republicans have accused him of pulling the alarm as part of an effort to force a government shutdown that could have then be blamed on the GOP.
The Cannon Building was evacuated on Sunday just hours before Congress agreed on a continuing resolution to fund the government without Ukraine funding. Several members, including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), released footage of the evacuation process as it was unfolding.
The U.S. Capitol Police later released a photo from surveillance cameras that shows the far-left congressman pulling a fire alarm.
Bowman’s office later acknowledged that he had pulled the alarm, but claimed that it was unintentional. “Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The Congressman regrets any confusion.”
JUST IN: Rep. Jamaal Bowman's spokeswoman says he "did not realize he would trigger a building alarm" when he pulled fire alarm.
"The Congressman regrets any confusion," she says. pic.twitter.com/RYeghqc5n2
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) September 30, 2023
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) referred to the incident as an “embarrassment” and called for Bowman to be punished in a press conference following the passage of the continuing resolution. “I was really appalled when watching Democrats’ actions today. To delay it, to get to a shutdown. But when we found, that an individual elected to Congress, would pull a fire alarm… that’s a new low,” McCarthy said. “We watched how people have been treated if they have done something wrong in this Capitol. It will be interesting to see how he is treated on what he was trying to obstruct, when it came to the American public,” he continued, seemingly referencing the heavy-handed punishments doled out to January 6 Capitol protesters.
“This should not go without punishment,” McCarthy followed up. “I’m gonna have a discussion with the Democratic leader about it. But this should not go without punishment. This is an embarrassment.”
U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) posted a photo of himself holding a pair of handcuffs captioned, “Jamaal, are you ready?”
Rep. Greene called for Bowman to be prosecuted for Obstruction of an Official Proceeding, which is the most common charge that has led to prison time for January 6 defendants. Hundreds of people with no criminal records have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for brief strolls through the Capitol after pleading guilty to or being convicted of the same charge.
“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,” Greene wrote in an X post.
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) agreed with Greene. “How is it that Rep. Jamal Bowman (D-NY) can pull a fire alarm during a vote, which is clearly ‘interfering with a legislative proceeding,’ and there be no ramifications?” he said. “Yet, protestors from across the country who came to Washington on January 6th are serving hard time in prison for doing less!”
Rep. Bowman clearly violated numerous laws including 1512(c)(2) obstruction of an official proceeding. At least 320 Jan 6 defendants including Donald Trump have been charged with this felony count.
This includes defendants who didn’t enter the building. Here’s the language: pic.twitter.com/IkP2dErKc6
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) September 30, 2023
Consider the activity of Jacob Chansley and Tim Hale who entered the building shortly before Congress recessed. Both were charged with 1512c2 despite committing no other violent crime. Both were denied release, held in solitary for months. Chansley pleaded guilty, sentenced to 41…
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) September 30, 2023
It’s GOP next move. Immediate criminal referral to US Attorney Matthew Graves for 1512(c)(2), obstruction of Congress, and conspiracy if he was in cahoots with anyone else, including staff now on clean up duty, to pull alarm.
Time to expose corrupt DOJ and demonstrate how these… https://t.co/cexqhUhvzU
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) September 30, 2023
A-Mess-NBC The Lying Peacock News
If this lawn jockey is this stupid he should not be in Congress
UPDATE: Bowman’s school that he founded and serves as principal for a decade mandates suspension or expulsion for pulling a fire alarm without good cause (Found by Town Hall’s John Hasson):
The 14th Amendment very clearly states that Rep. Jamaal Bowman and his ENTIRE staff need to be incarcerated for a few years until finally charged with “seditious acts,” “obstructing a federal proceeding” for a 20 years prison sentence just like the January 6th protesters!
Did he think pulling down the TWO large signs that this was a FIRE DOOR, not an exit, then pulling the Fire Alarm, then turning away from the Fire Door, running to a legal exit some distance away and slipping down a flight of stairs to distance himself from an act he never realized was on VIDEO, was all “innocent?”
This happened hours ago and he still hasn’t played the race card. What a slacker. Either that or he must know nothing will happen to him.
Totally irresponsible what was this idiot trying to pull off? Not at all Funny worse then shouting Fire in a crowded theater totally uncalled for
I predict he will be punished with a slightly lighter sentence than Ray Epps got. Because, you know, no one is above the law. There IS no “two systems of justice”. I bet even a penalty for pulling a false fire alarm is brushed off.
1512(c)(1) appears to apply to Pelosi tearing apart Trump’s SOTU speech. As long as we are prosecuting…
Mens rea* was an element of congressman Jamaal Bowman.
It was NOT a factor in all of the cases of people now behind bars for walking thru the public buildings inside the velvet ropes.
For that reason alone, Jamaal should get the full 20 years and all these others ought to be freed.
*A guilty mind, a conscious knowing by the perpetrator that the act s/he committed was illicit. Criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is illegal); often at issue in trials.
Then he should be asking for a full blackout of all media as well. He’s not worried about intimidation or a tainted jury pool; he’s concerned with censoring any truth and spreading his lies.
10/01/23 – House GOP members seek to expel Gaetz amid renewed threat to vacate House Speaker McCarthy
Gaetz needs to straighten up. But Robin Ware/Robert L. Peters/JRB Ware/Pedo Peter/idiot Biden is a corrupt, treasonous piece of treasonous shit.
No source on record, so it could be completely made up.
Has Fox News fallen that far?
The only “quote” was this: “the Department of Justice has confirmed to Congressman Gaetz’s attorneys that their investigation has concluded and that he will not be charged with any crimes.”
Seems like hot air.