SE Valley Times

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs has called for New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman to be prosecuted for triggering a fire alarm in the Capitol building as the House was about to vote on a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy alleges that Bowman intentionally pulled the alarm, while Bowman claims it was an accident.

"Jamaal Bowman was a middle school principal, so he should know what a fire alarm looks like," said Biggs. "Accidental or not, Congressman Bowman should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for his antics."

McCarthy has called for an investigation into Bowman, who pulled the fire alarm in a Capitol office building, causing a delay of over 2 hours in the scheduled vote. Republicans have accused Bowman of trying to stall the vote, citing the limited time Democrats had to review the bill. Bowman, however, claims that the incident occurred as he rushed to cast his vote and found a usually open door closed. He emphasized that he had no intention of impeding the House vote.

House Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement on a short-term funding bill, commonly referred to as a continuing resolution, or CR, to prevent a government shutdown. The Senate subsequently voted to pass the continuing resolution with just three hours remaining before a potential shutdown, ensuring the government remains open for the next 45 days. The 71-page short-term bill, orchestrated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, does not include new financial assistance for Ukraine.

"I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote. 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," said Bowman in a statement. "I also met after the vote with the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police, at their request, and explained what had happened."

McCarthy questioned Bowman's claim of an accident, asking why he immediately sought legal representation when the Capitol Police came to interview him. Many Republicans are drawing parallels to the events of January 6 and are calling for consequences for Bowman's actions.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.