Bowman Censured by House for Pulling Fire Alarm

House Votes to Formally Rebuke New York Democrat

Washington, D.C. -

The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York for triggering a fire alarm in a House office building in September. The Republican-led House voted 223-183 to formally rebuke Bowman for the incident, which forced the evacuation of the building and disrupted the legislative process.

Bowman has defended his actions, saying he pulled the alarm to raise awareness about the need for action on environmental issues. However, Republicans have accused Bowman of abusing his position and putting lives at risk.

The censure is a rare form of punishment in the House and is typically reserved for serious breaches of conduct. It serves as a formal expression of disapproval and can result in the loss of committee assignments or other privileges.

Bowman is the first member of Congress to be censured since 2010, when Republican Rep. Joe Wilson was rebuked for shouting "You lie!" at President Barack Obama during a joint session of Congress.