House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has called for Rep. Jamaal Bowman to be punished after he pulled a fire alarm in a Capitol office building. McCarthy compared the incident to the January 6 rioters who attacked the building and expressed his belief that the Ethics Committee should take the fire alarm incident seriously. McCarthy stated that this action should not go without punishment and called it an embarrassment. Bowman’s office acknowledged that the fire alarm was pulled but claimed it was unintentional, stating that the congressman did not realize it would trigger a building alarm.
The incident has sparked investigations, with the House Administration Committee already looking into the matter. However, Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries has stated that he has not yet seen the video of the fire alarm being pulled and has no comment until he reviews the evidence. Meanwhile, fellow New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, has announced her intention to introduce a resolution to expel Bowman from the House due to the incident. She compared the action to that of a New York City high school and argued that it warranted expulsion.
The fire alarm went off in the Cannon office building, which is connected to the Capitol, as Republicans were attempting to initiate a vote on a 45-day spending measure. Democrats, who had received little notice about the bill, sought to delay the vote, claiming they needed more time to review it. As a result, Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries delivered a lengthy speech to allow members and staff to assess their party’s position on the bill. Ultimately, the vote was delayed for two and a half hours and the bill was overwhelmingly supported by Democrats.