Bowman Fire Alarm Controversy Sparks Argument Between Democrats, Republicans

(Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Democrats and Republicans are arguing over Rep. Jamaal Bowman after he pulled a fire alarm that delayed a House vote on a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including former United States President Donald Trump and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), are arguing over Rep. Jamaal Brown's pulling off a fire alarm prior to a House vote.

The Republican businessman on Sunday said that the Democratic representative should be jailed for the "egregious act" he pulled off on Saturday. The House vote was regarding a stopgap measure to keep the American government funded past the midnight deadline.

Bowman Fire Alarm Controversy

In a post on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, the former president questioned whether or not Bowman would be prosecuted and imprisoned for his alleged dangerous act. Trump also noted that the effort was caught on camera, which he said was a horrible display of nerve and criminality.

The Republican presidential candidate's remarks come after the New York representative acknowledged that he triggered the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on Saturday. The effort prompted the mandatory evacuation of people in the building. Still, Bowman said that it was an accident as he was rushing to vote on a last-minute bipartisan stopgap funding bill, as per The Hill.

Bowman said that as he was rushing to make a vote, he came to a door that was typically open for votes but at the time would not open. He said he was embarrassed to admit that he activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door.

After the incident, Republican lawmakers quickly accused Bowman of intentionally trying to sabotage the high-stakes vote. Trump also claimed that the New York representative's act was a "very dangerous" obstruction of an official proceeding, which is the same charge that dozens of lawmakers face in relation to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot.

Before the former president, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also compared Bowman to the people charged in relation to the events of the Capitol siege. On the other hand, several Democrats, including AOC, quickly came to defend the New York representative and his unfortunate accident.

Vote on Stopgap Funding Bill

She said that Bowman was in a moment of panic when he accidentally triggered the evacuation of the building by pulling the fire alarm. However, AOC quickly pivoted to accusing Republican lawmakers of protecting GOP Rep. George Santos, who is currently facing a 13-count federal indictment, according to Fox News.

During a Sunday interview, the New York Democrat tried to blame the circumstances that led to Bowman accidentally pulling the fire alarm. AOC added that her colleague fully cooperated with the House administration and US Capitol Police on what she called a "misunderstanding."

Various developments in the case, including images of the signage around the exit door, have prompted some to support Bowman. However, others criticize the lawmaker, saying that the explanation was insufficient.

One image of Bowman that circulated showed him pulling the fire alarm as the full security video, which could provide further details on exactly what happened, has not yet been released, said Newsweek.