Capitol Hill media expert debunks Bowman’s illogical fire alarm excuse.
The Fire Alarm Incident: A Questionable Explanation
The explanation provided by Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) for why he pulled a fire alarm in a House office building on Saturday has raised eyebrows among Capitol Hill insiders.
Bowman released a statement claiming that he mistakenly activated the fire alarm while trying to open a door on his way to a spending bill vote in the nearby U.S. Capitol Building.
However, veteran Capitol Hill journalist Jake Sherman, a co-founder of Punchbowl News, expressed skepticism about Bowman’s explanation. In a tweet, Sherman questioned the plausibility of using a fire alarm to open a door and pointed out the existence of tunnels that connect the buildings, making it easy to reach the Capitol without going outside.
For those who work on Capitol Hill — or even those who don’t — this makes no sense.
1) have you in your life ever activated a fire alarm in a large public building to open a door?
2) there are tunnels that take you from this building straight to the Capitol. It’s very easy. I do… https://t.co/FArSEHn7wz— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 1, 2023
Another Punchbowl News co-founder, John Bresnahan, shared images of the door and signs in front of it, suggesting that the situation was not as confusing as Bowman claimed.
This doesn’t really seem that confusing pic.twitter.com/EXM5VOWJAp
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) September 30, 2023
Even Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) expressed doubt about Bowman’s version of events, highlighting the existence of tunnels that connect the office buildings to the Capitol.
Despite the skepticism, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) defended Bowman, citing ongoing construction in the Cannon House Office Building that has made tunnel walks longer and more confusing.
As a result of the incident, Bowman is now facing an investigation, and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has indicated that he will discuss the matter with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
🚨🚨NEW — Capitol Police are circulating this photo of a man pulling the fire alarm in Cannon. Looks a lot like Jamaal Bowman pic.twitter.com/khzpigSvWI
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 30, 2023
Despite the controversy, Bowman maintains that his actions were not intended to delay the vote but rather to urgently reach it. He has apologized for any confusion caused and emphasized his commitment to serving his constituents.
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