Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) allegedly pulled a fire alarm in the United States Capitol complex moments before the House was scheduled to vote on a bill preventing a government shutdown, according to the House Administration Committee.
U.S. Capitol Police and the House Administration Committee, which oversees House operations and Capitol security, are investigating.
A photo being circulated by Capitol Police appears to show Bowman pulling the fire alarm, as reported by Punchbowl News.
Falsely reporting a fire is a misdemeanor crime in the District of Columbia punishable by a fine or up to six months’ imprisonment.
A spokesperson for Bowman released the following statement claiming that Bowman “did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote.”
Bowman claims he “thought the alarm would open the door.”
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) gave a long filibuster speech minutes later as Democrats attempted to delay the vote on a 45-day extension of government funding. The bill eventually passed by a large margin after the incident.
Rep. Jim Banks is among those calling for Bowman’s arrest, tweeting the possibility that Bowman’s actions could be part of a conspiracy among Democrats.
Many of the defendants from Jan. 6 were charged for similar conduct, as pointed out by the mainstream media and Donald Trump Jr., who called for Bowman’s immediate arrest.
Breitbart News will continue tracking this developing story.
Follow Bradley Jaye on Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.