On Monday, the House of Representatives voted 206-to-167 to censure New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm during a pro-impeachment rally. The censure resolution was proposed by Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York.
The censure was in response to Bowman’s address on the House floor in December 2020. During his address, Bowman encouraged fellow House members to pursue President Donald Trump’s removal from office via impeachment. His comments were interrupted when he pulled a fire alarm, creating an uproar from Republican members of Congress.
Bowman is a freshman Representative in the House, and he was widely criticized for his actions. The resolution passed by the House states that Bowman intentionally disrupted the House proceedings and violated House rules and decorum; thus, he should be censured for his behavior.
The resolution was strongly opposed by Democrat members of Congress, including Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who issued a statement denouncing the resolution. “He was simply exercising his right to free speech and calling out the hypocrisy of a Republican House that has done nothing to hold the president accountable for his acts of treason,” Omar said.
Though the resolution was passed, it has proven ineffective at punishing Bowman for his actions. Bowman has publicly thanked the House for censuring him and reaffirmed that he pulled the fire alarm as an act of defiance against an unjust system.
By voting in favor of his censure, the House has shown that it is not willing to accept ä unruly behavior by members of Congress and that it will continue to punish individuals for any violation of its rules and regulations. The message is clear – Bowman’s behavior was unacceptable and should not be repeated.
On Monday, the House of Representatives voted 206-to-167 to censure New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm during a pro-impeachment rally. The censure resolution was proposed by Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York.
The censure was in response to Bowman’s address on the House floor in December 2020. During his address, Bowman encouraged fellow House members to pursue President Donald Trump’s removal from office via impeachment. His comments were interrupted when he pulled a fire alarm, creating an uproar from Republican members of Congress.
Bowman is a freshman Representative in the House, and he was widely criticized for his actions. The resolution passed by the House states that Bowman intentionally disrupted the House proceedings and violated House rules and decorum; thus, he should be censured for his behavior.
The resolution was strongly opposed by Democrat members of Congress, including Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who issued a statement denouncing the resolution. “He was simply exercising his right to free speech and calling out the hypocrisy of a Republican House that has done nothing to hold the president accountable for his acts of treason,” Omar said.
Though the resolution was passed, it has proven ineffective at punishing Bowman for his actions. Bowman has publicly thanked the House for censuring him and reaffirmed that he pulled the fire alarm as an act of defiance against an unjust system.
By voting in favor of his censure, the House has shown that it is not willing to accept ä unruly behavior by members of Congress and that it will continue to punish individuals for any violation of its rules and regulations. The message is clear – Bowman’s behavior was unacceptable and should not be repeated.
