Jamaal Bowman one step closer to becoming next House Democrat to be censured

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is set to face a censure vote on the House floor after a Democratic effort to kill the motion failed to pass Wednesday.

Lawmakers voted 201-216 to table the motion, falling short of the 217-majority threshold needed to shoot down the measure. The effort to kill the motion failed after members voted along party lines. One Democrat voted present: Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), who is the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee.

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The House will move forward with debate on the measure and could vote on its final passage as early as Thursday afternoon. If successful, Bowman will be required to stand before the full House chamber as he is publicly reprimanded by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), making him the third Democrat to be censured this year, following Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in June and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) in November.

The vote comes one day after Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) filed her censure resolution as privileged, forcing a vote on the measure within the next two legislative days. The move builds on her previous efforts to punish Bowman over accusations the “Squad” member intentionally disrupted congressional proceedings by pulling a fire alarm in a congressional office building earlier this year.

“The actions of Representative Bowman forced the evacuation of the Cannon House Office Building and disrupted the work of the Congress as a vote was underway on the floor of the House,” the resolution states. “The interruption of official proceedings of Congress by pulling a fire alarm was a theatrical attempt to cause panic, therefore endangering the safety and well-being of Members of the House, of staff, and members of the public on the Capitol grounds.”

The resolution was initially filed in early October, just days after Bowman was caught on surveillance camera pulling a fire alarm while the House was scheduled to meet for votes on a measure to avoid a government shutdown. Bowman initially denied that the incident was intentional, but the New York Democrat later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to the false alarm.

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Bowman agreed to pay a $1,000 fine, write an apology letter to the U.S. Capitol Police, and serve three months of probation. However, Republicans have repeatedly called for Bowman to face further consequences, with former New York Republican Rep. George Santos using his last act in Congress to draft an expulsion resolution against Bowman last week.

Bowman’s conduct was previously referred to the nonpartisan Ethics Committee, which decided last month not to open an investigation into the matter.