When Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman — a member of the “squad” of far-left representatives — got caught pulling the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building of the Capitol complex before the vote on the continuing resolution that kept the government open, he swore it was a mistake.
The reason he did it, Bowman said, was that he was rushing for a vote and thought the fire alarm was, instead, the security mechanism to open the door.
Unfortunately for the New York congressman, the door — as with the rest of the Capitol complex, one assumes — is under video surveillance, and the tale of the tape tells a markedly different story.
Just so we’re clear on the timeline of events here: On Sept. 30, Bowman pulled the alarm just before the House passed the “stopgap bill” by a vote of 335-91. It was signed later in the day by President Joe Biden, thus averting a government shutdown.
As The New York Times reported, Bowman’s decision to pull the alarm came “as his party was trying to delay a vote on” the bill.
“The alarm was triggered at the same time that House Democrats at the Capitol were stalling a vote on a spending measure to keep the government operating for another 45 days,” the Times noted. “Speaker Kevin McCarthy had unveiled the bill just minutes earlier, and Democrats were scrambling to read the bill and determine whether to support it.
“Later in the day, the bill passed 335 to 91, with more Democrats voting for it than Republicans.”
It worked, temporarily, leading to an evacuation of the building — which didn’t sit well with Republicans.
Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulled the fire alarm in the Cannon building this afternoon and interrupted the official proceedings of the House as Republicans worked to keep the government open.
I’m calling on the DOJ to prosecute him using the same law they used to prosecute J6… pic.twitter.com/KlXjwVrkc1
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) September 30, 2023
Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the tactic “a new low.”
McCarthy responds to a photo showing Jamaal Bowman pulling the Capitol fire alarm.
“That’s a new low. We watched how people have been treated if they’ve done something wrong in this Capitol — will be interesting to see how he is treated.” pic.twitter.com/O8nTSVHTCy
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 30, 2023
However, Bowman insisted that despite the fact his party was trying to delay a vote on the bill, he was actually rushing to vote on it. Honest!
“I want to personally clear up confusion surrounding today’s events,” Bowman said in a statement. “Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open.
“I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused.
“But I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote,” the statement continued. “It was the exact opposite — I was trying urgently to get to a vote, which I ultimately did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to keep our government open.”
Statement from Congressman Jamaal Bowman. pic.twitter.com/v6qjdHNI7T
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) October 1, 2023
Right. Which is why a video released Thursday shows Bowman removing the signs before pulling the alarm and then walking away from the door he thought was going to open:
? NEW FOOTAGE: Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman removes warning signs before pulling the fire alarm in a House office building last month pic.twitter.com/dhwOQN2G6y
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 26, 2023
BREAKING: The video of Jamaal Bowman pulling the fire alarm to stop a vote has been released.
In his initial statement, Bowman claimed that he was rushing to get to a vote and did it by accident.
The video shows him removing the warning signs and not even attempting to open the… pic.twitter.com/IGzmZo72xp
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 26, 2023
“Emergency Exit Only!” the signs read, according to the New York Post. “Push until alarm sounds (3 seconds). Door will unlock in 30 seconds.”
As Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz noted on social media, “This is what lawyers would call ‘intent.'”
This is what lawyers would call “intent” https://t.co/1WehfU6XfG
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 26, 2023
Nor was Gaetz alone in that assessment:
Wait, what? Not only did Jamaal Bowman interfere in an official proceeding at the Capitol but HE LIED ABOUT not knowing what he was doing when he pulled the fire alarm
…and still, got a slap on the wrist.
TWO-TIERED “JUSTICE” SYSTEM
— KK Berd ?? (@keny_berd) October 26, 2023
This video, by the by, was made public hours after Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of falsely pulling a fire alarm. Not quite Bob Menendez stuff, but damning nonetheless.
The Post reported that the charges will be withdrawn as part of an agreement in which Bowman pays a $1,000 fine and writes a letter of apology.
As Greg Price, a conservative social media pundit who works in communications for the State Freedom Caucus Network, noted, obstructing official government proceedings is a charge brought against those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion, as well as former President Donald Trump by special counsel Jack Smith:
Over 300 January 6 defendants have been charged by the feds and given multi-year sentences for obstructing an official government proceeding.
It’s also one of the charges Jack Smith brought against Donald Trump as well.
Now we know Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire alarm to… pic.twitter.com/YvkAjpxSBg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 26, 2023
But Bowman is a Democrat — a far-left Democrat to boot, with a “squad” membership to prove it — so nothing will happen aside from the guilty plea.
Zip. Nada.
What’s more, nobody’s going to bother to question Bowman’s flimsy, risible excuse that he was just trying to open a door … with a fire alarm. That’s doubly true when he walked away from said door.
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