In Washington, a motion to censure Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York is moving forward after an attempt by Democrats to block the resolution failed. Rep. Bowman is accused of falsely activating a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building.
As reported by CNN News, The resolution was introduced by Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, a member of the House Republican Conference. She submitted a privileged resolution on Tuesday, demanding censure for Bowman’s actions in September, which involved pulling a fire alarm before a last-minute vote on government funding. Due to the privileged status of the resolution, the House was required to vote on it within two legislative days.
In a recent vote, the House rejected the Democratic motion to table the resolution with a count of 201 to 216, failing to garner the simple majority needed to dismiss it. One lawmaker voted present.
Censure in the House is a formal admonishment for behavior deemed inappropriate but not severe enough for expulsion.
Rep. Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor related to the incident in late October. He agreed to a $1,000 fine and three months of probation for triggering the fire alarm, leading to the evacuation of the office building. Bowman stated he activated the alarm in haste while trying to make it to a vote. The incident was captured on security footage.
According to McClain’s resolution, “Representative Bowman forced the evacuation of the Cannon House Office Building and disrupted the work of Congress during an ongoing vote.”
Last month, the House Ethics Committee decided not to initiate an investigation into Bowman’s actions.
Censure motions, reflecting the growing polarization in Congress, have become more frequent in recent years. While they typically do not reach a floor vote, the trend is changing as lawmakers increasingly use the privileged status to expedite proceedings.
This year, two Democrats have faced censure. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan was censured in a bipartisan vote in November for her comments perceived as advocating against Israel’s existence. In June, California Rep. Adam Schiff was censured by Republicans for his involvement in investigations into former President Donald Trump.