[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 200 (Tuesday, December 5, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H6132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I 
seek recognition to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the 
privileges of the House.
  The form of the resolution is as follows:
  Resolution Censuring Representative Jamaal Bowman.
  Whereas, on September 30, 2023, as the House of Representatives was 
considering legislation to avoid a lapse of appropriations for Federal 
agencies and departments, which would result in a shutdown of those 
agencies and departments, Jamaal Bowman, the Representative from the 
16th Congressional District of New York, pulled a fire alarm;
  Whereas, section 22-1319 of the District of Columbia Criminal Code 
makes knowingly causing a false alarm of fire a misdemeanor punishable 
by fine or imprisonment up to 6 months, or both;
  Whereas, section 22-1319 of the District of Columbia Criminal Code 
states: ``It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to willfully 
or knowingly give a false alarm of fire within the District of 
Columbia, and any person or persons violating the provisions of this 
subsection shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor 
and be punished by a fine not more than the amount set forth in section 
22-3571.01 [of this code] or by imprisonment for not more than 6 
months, or by both such fine and imprisonment;''
  Whereas, on October 26, 2023, Representative Bowman pled guilty to 
violating section 22-1319 of the District of Columbia Criminal Code and 
was required to pay a $1,000 fine and write an apology letter to the 
United States Capitol Police and was placed on probation; and
  Whereas, the actions of Representative Bowman forced the evacuation 
of the Cannon House Office Building and disrupted the work of Congress 
as a vote was underway on the floor of the House:
  Now, therefore, be it resolved that the House of Representatives 
censures Jamaal Bowman, Representative from the 16th Congressional 
District of New York; Representative Jamaal Bowman will forthwith 
present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the 
pronouncement of censure; and Jamaal Bowman will be censured with the 
public reading of this resolution by the Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the 
floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader 
as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence 
only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after 
the resolution is properly noticed.
  Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the 
gentlewoman from Michigan will appear in the Record at this point.
  The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution 
constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at 
the time designated for consideration of the resolution.

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