Trouble with Republicans
Curious incident: Representative triggers fire alarm in US Congress
Mistaken the fire alarm for a door opener: Jamaal Bowman
© Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP
In the middle of negotiations in the budget dispute, a Democratic representative in the US Congress is causing trouble. Jamaal Bowman sets off the fire alarm – unintentionally, as he later says. The Republicans suspect intent and are demanding punishment.
Weird incident in the middle of the budget dispute in the US Congress: Democratic MP Jamaal Bowman broke it off in a US Congress building on Saturday morning (local time). Fire alarm off. Republicans reacted angrily to the incident and accused Bowman of trying to delay the vote on the interim budget in the House of Representatives. This prevents a so-called shutdown. The Democrats in the parliamentary chamber had previously complained that they did not have enough time to read the text.
USA: Representative triggers fire alarm in Congress
“As I was rushing to vote today, I came to a door that is normally open for voting, but could not be opened today,” the Democrat finally said late Saturday evening (local time). “I am embarrassed to admit that I pulled the fire alarm because I mistakenly thought it would open the door,” said a statement that was shared with CNN, among others. But he “did not try in any way to delay the vote,” Bowman said. “I tried urgently to get a vote.”
The incident previously caused outrage in the highest ranks of Republicans. “This should not go unpunished. This is an embarrassment,” said House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy. “This behavior should not go unpunished,” McCarthy said, promising to speak to House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries about the incident. Jeffries himself initially did not want to comment on the incident. “Until I see the video, I won’t say anything about it,” Jeffries told US media.
Democrats surprised by proposal
Before voting, Jeffries gave a 52-minute speech to give his party members the opportunity to read the Republican interim budget proposal. The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, unexpectedly introduced it on Saturday morning, thereby putting the Democrats under pressure. Only two and a half hours after McCarthy introduced the proposal in the House of Representatives did the representatives vote – with the proposal receiving more votes from Democrats than Republicans. After the Senate later voted for the budget with a large majority, the shutdown was averted shortly before the deadline.
A number of Republicans called for an investigation into the incident – some, according to US media, called for Bowman to be expelled from Congress. Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis announced on X (formerly Twitter) that she would submit a corresponding proposal to Congress. “This is the United States Congress, not some high school in New York,” the representative added. However, there is unlikely to be a majority in the House of Representatives for such a measure.