Radical Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) excuse for setting off the fire alarm in Congress has become even harder to believe after images of the red warning signs emerged on social media.
As Slay News reported, Bowman set off the alarm on Saturday as members of the House were about to vote on a critical resolution.
The alarm caused an evacuation and delayed the vote on the bill that excluded funding for Ukraine.
The congressman was caught on a security camera as he triggered the alarm at an emergency exit.
🚨USCP release photo evidence of Rep Jamaal Bowman pulling the fire alarm and committing a felony
When will he be arrested and charged the same as all the J6 defendants? pic.twitter.com/23chwLLS7j
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) September 30, 2023
The false alarm caused widespread outrage and Bowman was taken into custody by Capitol Police.
As Republicans noted, intentionally triggering the fire alarm would be a felony.
The incident had led to growing calls for Bowman to be expelled from Congress.
However, rather than admit to his mistake, Bowman claims that he “accidentally” set off the alarm.
He issued a statement claiming that he was confused and just wanted to get through the door.
According to Bowman, he thought pulling the fire alarm trigger would unlock the door while he was “rushing to make an urgent vote.”
Bowman’s statement has led to widespread mockery, however, as images of the exit, and its bright red signs, have been shared on Twitter/X.
The door Bowman thought would open by triggering the fire alarm was plastered with bright red cautionary signs that read, “Emergency Exit Only” and “Push Until Alarm Sounds.”
Okay this sign is genuinely confusing https://t.co/0N2xeUWoSy pic.twitter.com/j3u10x2WKT
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) September 30, 2023
Bowman’s press secretary, Emma Simon, claims that the signs confused the lawmaker.
“Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote,” she said, according to Axios’s Andrew Solender.
“The Congressman regrets any confusion.”
NEW: Bowman spox Emma Simon on him pulling the fire alarm.
“Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) September 30, 2023
However, according to readabilityformulas.com’s Automated Readability Index, the signs that perplexed Bowman, the founder and former principal of a public middle school in the Bronx, were deemed to be readable at a third-grade level.
“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,” Bowman said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
The vote he was rushing to make was on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) continuing resolution to fund the federal government for another 45 days.
Bowman voted for the bill, which notably excluded additional funding for Ukraine.
It ultimately passed the chamber 335-91, despite the interruption.
The bill later passed in the Senate and President Biden signed the bill into law shortly before the midnight deadline and close of fiscal year 2023.
READ MORE: Republicans Move to Expel Democrat Rep Jamaal Bowman from Congress
