Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy slammed Rep. Leftist Jamaal Bowman on Monday after Democrats pulled the fire alarm during a tumultuous session of Congress over the weekend.
Bowman (D-NY) has insisted his Saturday activation of a clearly labeled fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building was accidental, but McCarthy (R-Calif.) scoffed at that argument.
“What’s interesting [is], if it really was just an accident, when the Capitol Police came to interview you, why would you be a lawyer right away?” the speaker told “Fox and Friends”. “His behavior was inappropriate.”
“If you’ve ever been a principal, you’ve had fire alarms and you’ve had kids pull the fire alarms,” McCarthy added. “So where are you going? To this childish act?”
Before entering politics, Bowman was principal at the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action in the Bronx, which threatening the student with suspension or even eviction for falsely pulling the fire alarm.
McCarthy insisted that he did not believe Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) put Bronx and Westchester representatives on the show.
Fire alarms are used to warn people inside a building of a fire.Ron Sachs – CNP for the NY PostJamaal Bowman claims he mistakenly pulled a fire alarm amid chaos in the halls of Congress on Saturday.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Sipa USA
“I don’t believe Hakeem Jeffries would say to do that,” McCarthy said when asked.
On Saturday, McCarthy gave Democrats very little time to hammer out a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Jeffries appeared to stall for time by speaking on the House floor for 52 minutes while Democrats combed through the 71-page bill to flag any poison pills.
In the end, all but one House Democrat chose to vote for the measure and it cleared the lower house 335-91, helping to keep the government fully operational until Nov. 17.
Republicans including Rep. Right-leaning Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) claimed Bowman was using nefarious methods to try and buy time.
Kevin McCarthy used Jamaal Bowman’s ordeal on Sunday to accuse Democrats of undermining efforts to prevent a shutdown.ZUMAPRESS.comJamaal Bowman takes the oath of office in January 2021.Getty Images
Democratic forces have insisted that the test was an innocent mistake.
“Congressman Bowman didn’t realize he was going to set off the building alarm because he was in such a rush to make a quick vote,” his chief of staff, Sarah Iddrissu, wrote on social media. “Members of Congress regret any confusion.”
Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Rep. Staten Island Nicole Malliotakis promised to introduce a resolution to evict Bowman from the basement.
A sign inside the Canaan office building explains that the entrance has been closed.Ron Sachs – CNP for the NY Post
Some critics, such as Greene, also likened Bowman’s actions to Capitol rioters, many of whom were charged with obstructing official proceedings.
Allies like Rep. Progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has come to Bowman’s defense and argued that Republicans have refused to launch Rep. George Santos (R-NY) who was criminally charged.
Bowman attended an interview with Capitol Police, who are investigating the matter. The House Administration Committee’s investigation into the incident is also underway.
The speaker successfully averted a government shutdown over the weekend, but now faces a GOP backlash. The Washington Post via Getty Images
Jeffries has been largely silent on the matter, saying Saturday that he was waiting to see video of the incident before commenting.
Meanwhile, McCarthy is expected to face a GOP rebellion this week, when a handful of Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is pushing to oust him from the speaker’s chair.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
