Several weeks ago, the House of Representatives managed to stave off a government shutdown. Then-Speaker McCarthy was able to pass a stopgap bill that prevented a catastrophe. But during this critical session of Congress, things almost went awry.
A fire alarm was pulled, which could have disrupted proceedings and delayed the vote. We later learned that Democrat “squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman was the one who pulled the alarm.
Republicans accused Bowman of trying to deliberately stop the session. According to reports, there was no cause for him to pull the alarm, raising suspicions. Now, he is pleading guilty to the criminal act. But his “punishment” might upset many Americans.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) has agreed to plead guilty to pulling the fire alarm on Capitol Hill earlier this month after reaching an agreement with the D.C. attorney general on Wednesday that involves having all charges in the case dropped…
The attorney general agreed to drop all charges in three months as long as Bowman issues a formal apology and pays a $1000 fine, according to Axios. [Source: The Post Millennial]
Rep. Bowman was charged with False Fire Alarm, a misdemeanor. It is normally punished with up to six months in prison, a fine, or both. Yet Bowman was offered what some are calling a sweetheart plea deal.
The Democrat pleaded guilty to pulling the alarm, in exchange for all the charges being dropped. The D.C. attorney general agreed to drop the charges, as long as Bowman issued an apology and a $1000 fine.
Some will say Bowman faced a slap on the wrist, considering what damage he could have caused. In addition to potentially causing bodily harm–due to panic raised with a fire alarm going off–Bowman risked delaying a session that prevented a government shutdown.
Had Congress been unable to pass that stopgap, a shutdown could have harmed many Americans. Lawmakers have pointed out that a shutdown, during an economic crisis like rampant inflation, could have led to devastating consequences.
It is possible Bowman wanted to disrupt House business, to make Republicans look bad. If that were so, this act paints him as a petty, partisan figure who puts his own selfish interests ahead of over 300 million Americans.
A small fine and apology are perhaps not strong enough consequences for what he might have been trying to do.
Author: Kit Fargo
