[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 201 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6189-H6197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of 
the house and offer the resolution that was previously noticed.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 914

       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 six 
     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 the Congress as a vote was underway on the floor 
     of the House: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the House of Representatives censures Jamaal Bowman, 
     Representative from the 16th Congressional District of New 
     York;
       (2) Representative Jamaal Bowman will forthwith present 
     himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the 
     pronouncement of censure; and
       (3) Representative Jamaal Bowman will be censured with the 
     public reading of this resolution by the Speaker.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution qualifies.


                            Motion to Table

  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion.
  The Clerk read the motion as follows:

       Ms. Clark of Massachusetts moves to lay the resolution on 
     the table.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to table.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.
  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 201, 
nays 216, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 16, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 704]

                               YEAS--201

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Allred
     Amo
     Auchincloss
     Barragan
     Beatty
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Bowman
     Boyle (PA)
     Brown
     Brownley
     Budzinski
     Bush
     Caraveo
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carson
     Carter (LA)
     Cartwright
     Casar
     Case
     Casten
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Cherfilus-McCormick
     Chu
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Crockett
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (NC)
     Dean (PA)
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Deluzio
     DeSaulnier
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Evans
     Foster
     Foushee
     Frankel, Lois
     Frost
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Garcia, Robert
     Golden (ME)
     Goldman (NY)
     Gomez
     Gonzalez, Vicente
     Gottheimer
     Green, Al (TX)
     Grijalva
     Harder (CA)
     Hayes
     Higgins (NY)
     Himes
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Hoyle (OR)
     Huffman
     Ivey
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson (NC)
     Jackson Lee
     Jacobs
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Kamlager-Dove
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Khanna
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kim (NJ)
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster
     Landsman
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NV)
     Lee (PA)
     Leger Fernandez
     Levin
     Lieu
     Lynch
     Magaziner
     Manning
     McBath
     McClellan
     McCollum
     McGarvey
     McGovern
     Meeks
     Menendez
     Meng
     Mfume
     Moore (WI)
     Morelle
     Moskowitz
     Moulton
     Mrvan
     Mullin
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Nickel
     Norcross
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Omar
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peltola
     Perez
     Peters
     Pettersen
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Pressley
     Quigley
     Ramirez
     Raskin
     Ross
     Ruiz
     Ryan
     Salinas
     Sanchez
     Sarbanes
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Scholten
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Sewell
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Slotkin
     Smith (WA)
     Sorensen
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Stansbury
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Strickland
     Swalwell
     Sykes
     Takano
     Thanedar
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tokuda
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres (NY)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Underwood
     Vargas
     Vasquez
     Veasey
     Velazquez
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Wexton
     Williams (GA)
     Wilson (FL)

                               NAYS--216

     Aderholt
     Alford
     Allen
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Banks
     Barr
     Bean (FL)
     Bentz
     Bergman
     Bice
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (NC)
     Boebert
     Bost
     Brecheen
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Burlison
     Calvert
     Cammack
     Carey
     Carl
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Chavez-DeRemer
     Ciscomani
     Cline
     Cloud
     Clyde
     Cole
     Collins
     Comer
     Crane
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Curtis
     D'Esposito
     Davidson
     De La Cruz
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Donalds
     Duarte
     Duncan
     Dunn (FL)
     Edwards
     Ellzey
     Emmer
     Estes
     Ezell
     Fallon
     Feenstra
     Ferguson
     Finstad
     Fischbach
     Fitzgerald
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flood
     Foxx
     Franklin, Scott
     Fry
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Garbarino
     Garcia, Mike
     Gimenez

[[Page H6190]]


     Gonzales, Tony
     Good (VA)
     Gooden (TX)
     Gosar
     Granger
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Greene (GA)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hageman
     Harris
     Harshbarger
     Hern
     Higgins (LA)
     Hill
     Hinson
     Houchin
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hunt
     Issa
     Jackson (TX)
     James
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Kean (NJ)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kiggans (VA)
     Kiley
     Kustoff
     LaHood
     LaLota
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Langworthy
     Latta
     LaTurner
     Lawler
     Lee (FL)
     Lesko
     Letlow
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Luna
     Luttrell
     Mace
     Malliotakis
     Maloy
     Mann
     Massie
     Mast
     McCaul
     McClain
     McClintock
     McCormick
     McHenry
     Meuser
     Miller (IL)
     Miller-Meeks
     Mills
     Molinaro
     Moolenaar
     Mooney
     Moore (AL)
     Moore (UT)
     Moran
     Murphy
     Nehls
     Newhouse
     Nunn (IA)
     Obernolte
     Ogles
     Owens
     Palmer
     Pence
     Perry
     Pfluger
     Posey
     Reschenthaler
     Rodgers (WA)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose
     Rosendale
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Rutherford
     Salazar
     Scalise
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Self
     Sessions
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spartz
     Stauber
     Steel
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Steube
     Strong
     Tenney
     Thompson (PA)
     Tiffany
     Timmons
     Turner
     Valadao
     Van Drew
     Van Duyne
     Van Orden
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Waltz
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams (NY)
     Williams (TX)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Yakym
     Zinke

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1

       
     Wild
       

                             NOT VOTING--16

     Balint
     Cleaver
     Craig
     Escobar
     Fletcher
     Horsford
     Kim (CA)
     Lofgren
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     Miller (OH)
     Miller (WV)
     Norman
     Phillips
     Porter
     Ruppersberger


                    Announcement by the Acting Chair

  The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There are 2 minutes remaining.

                              {time}  1739

  So the motion to table was rejected.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be physically present for 
votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 
No. 698, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 699, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 700, 
``nay'' on rollcall No. 701, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 702, ``nay'' on 
rollcall No. 703, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 704.

                              {time}  1745

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. DesJarlais). Pursuant to clause 2 of 
rule IX, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain) and the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  On September 30, as the House of Representatives met to consider 
legislation to avoid a government shutdown, Representative Jamaal 
Bowman of New York knowingly pulled a fire alarm to cause chaos and 
stop the House from doing its business. This is a felony, plain and 
simple. It is not difficult to understand.
  Capitol Police were forced to waste resources investigating rather 
than doing their job to keep the Capitol safe. USCP determined Bowman 
broke the law, and he was indicted by the Attorney General of the 
District of Columbia. Realizing no number of excuses could get him out 
of this, Mr. Bowman pled guilty.
  As a former principal of the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action in 
New York City, Mr. Bowman should know the consequences of pulling a 
fire alarm to cause panic. In New York schools, the policy is clear. 
When a student commits a crime on campus, police are called, and that 
student is either suspended or expelled.
  One would think Representative Bowman would be able to hold himself 
to the same standards as he held his students to. I don't think that is 
a lot to ask.
  The Republican majority held our own former Member accountable after 
the House Ethics Committee found he engaged in criminal behavior. It 
would be hypocritical for the House Democrats to not join us in holding 
one of their own Members accountable who actually pled guilty to 
breaking the law.
  I do not submit this resolution lightly, Mr. Speaker. Article I, 
Section 5 of our Constitution gives the House the solemn responsibility 
to discipline Members for disorderly behavior. As conviction 
demonstrates, Representative Bowman sought to cause panic to delay 
official proceedings of this House.
  I urge my fellow Members to vote ``yes'' on my resolution and to hold 
our colleagues accountable when they break the law.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a profoundly stupid resolution. Under Republican 
control, this Chamber has become a place where trivial issues get 
debated passionately and important ones not at all. Republicans have 
focused more on censuring people in this Congress than passing bills 
that help people we represent or improving this country in any way. 
What a waste of time and money. They have turned this place into a 
joke.
  They came into the majority talking a big game, but have delivered 
nothing, not a single, damn thing. They talk about passing this and 
passing that. All their hyperpartisan bills are going nowhere.
  What we are now doing is distracting from the fact that the 
Republican agenda has been a total and complete failure, the least 
productive Congress in history, the most rules failed in a single year. 
They dragged America to the brink of default twice, almost shut down 
the government, wasted weeks fighting about who should be Speaker, and 
hitting each other in the hallways.
  We should be talking about important issues in this Chamber, Mr. 
Speaker. We should be addressing healthcare costs, helping Americans 
build economic security, competing with our adversaries abroad, and 
investing in our people at home.
  We just had a shooting in Las Vegas. We should be talking about 
preventing gun violence in this country, and you have us here talking 
about how someone tried to go out the wrong door of the Cannon House 
Office Building.
  Honestly, what the hell is wrong with you?
  Congressman Bowman apologized. I want to read his statement so we can 
be clear about what we are talking about here today. ``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. 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 messed up. Like many of us do every day, he was rushing to get to 
votes. Guess what? No one was hurt. No one's life was put in danger. 
Votes went on like nothing happened. Anyone who works here knows that a 
fire alarm going off across the street wouldn't impact votes here in 
the Capitol.
  I find it terribly ironic that we are talking about censuring Mr. 
Bowman, yet we never censured any of our colleagues who tried to 
overturn the election on January 6 or who failed to respond to a 
subpoena or who put our national security in danger by storming the 
SCIF with their phones.
  In fact, to the contrary,   Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the 
House, held a press conference yesterday about the January 6 video 
footage. Something he said stuck with me:

       We have to blur some of the people's faces who participated 
     in the events of that day because we don't want them to be 
     retaliated against and charged by the DOJ.

  Just to be clear, Republicans want to protect the insurrectionists, 
shield them from accountability, the people who beat officers, kicked 
in doors, smashed windows, desecrated this building, and tried to take 
down our democracy. Not our doors; America's doors, America's officers, 
America's windows. This is America's building that Trump's mob defiled.
  Speaker Johnson wants to protect the mob but has us here debating 
this absurd censure. What a pathetic exercise in retaliation and 
revenge. What a petty thing it is to bring this garbage to the floor. 
Sadly, it is just a typical week for this disgraceful Republican 
majority.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H6191]]

  

  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

  To use that logic, then all those people should have just said 
``sorry,'' and we would move on, right?
  No, we don't do that.
  Let me tell you, I take a little bit of offense to ``What the hell is 
wrong with you?'' I will tell you, there is nothing wrong with me. I 
took an oath to defend the Constitution, and that is exactly what I am 
going to do. I am not going to apologize for it. I am going to hold the 
Constitution. It is very simple. We really shouldn't even have this 
debate. If you break the law and you follow due process, there are 
consequences to your actions, even if you say ``sorry.''
  We can try all of the diversion tactics that we would like. It 
doesn't change the fact that someone broke the law and that someone 
should be held accountable. It is disappointing, Mr. Speaker, that 
their own party can't hold them accountable, that they have such 
hypocrisy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend from New York (Ms. 
Malliotakis).
  Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, we all remember that day, September 30, 
2023, at 11:59 a.m. That was when the Democrats actually called for a 
motion to adjourn. It was a tactic to stop the vote from taking place 
when we were just 12 hours away from a government shutdown. It was also 
the day that the leader on the other side tried to give a speech to 
delay the vote even further.
  Perhaps the most egregious thing we saw was when one of the Members--
remember, we are Members of Congress--and a Member on the other side of 
the aisle pulled a fire alarm to disrupt proceedings. It was certainly 
an attempt to interfere with an official proceeding.
  Now, the speaker who spoke on his behalf said, no, no, no, he was 
rushing for a vote. In fact, that is what the statement from Mr. Bowman 
was, that he was rushing for a vote. Then why, after pulling that 
alarm, did he show up to vote an hour later? If he was in such a rush 
to come to the Capitol to vote, why did it take him an hour to actually 
cast his vote?
  That is the question that he should be answering, because nothing 
else truly makes sense. The bottom line here is that he was charged 
with a crime after an investigation by the police. He did break the 
law, he did plead guilty, and we need to hold that Member accountable. 
That is why we have brought this resolution today.
  It is not pathetic. What is pathetic is somebody who is a grown adult 
pulling a fire alarm like they are in high school. As a high school 
principal, Mr. Bowman knows very well the old fire alarm trick, and 
there would be accountability for his students if they pulled the fire 
alarm.
  That is why we are here today making sure there is accountability. 
That is all that this is about. It is not just accountability if 
Republicans do something. There is accountability if anyone in this 
Chamber does something, commits a crime, pleads guilty. That is what we 
are doing today.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the Democratic whip.
  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  As we speak here today, conflicts are raging around the globe, and 
the American people have told us exactly what they want us to do. 
Democracy is under siege. Putin is salivating at the prospect that 
Republicans might abandon Ukraine. Seventy thousand childcare centers 
are on the verge of shutting down because the GOP let vital funding 
expire. We don't even have a budget, despite the fact that we voted for 
those top-line numbers back in June.
  This ridiculous censure is how the Republicans are spending the time 
of this Chamber and the time of the American people. The MAGA majority 
should be embarrassed if they are still capable of shame. Republicans 
filed this censure the same day they decided to shield the identities 
of January 6 rioters.
  I do have to hand it to the majority. They have managed to both push 
an extreme agenda and be a do-nothing majority. They have done nothing 
to make families freer, safer, or more confident in their future. 
Instead, they have voted against lowering the cost of insulin, 
affordable housing, and gun safety. They have done nothing to promote 
freedom, but they do not miss an opportunity to vote for abortion bans, 
book bans, and tax cheats.
  Just last week, the majority's leadership said no to holding George 
Santos accountable after a motion to expel was made by the Republican 
chairman of the Ethics Committee, but today they bring this to the 
floor? A censure isn't a substitute for a policy agenda. It isn't 
filler when you have nothing to offer the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this sham resolution.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Burlison).
  Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, it was said by our friends on the other 
side of the aisle that this censure motion is profoundly stupid. What 
is profoundly stupid is an adult man, who has been elected as a Member 
of Congress, held to a high esteem, pulling a fire alarm like a child, 
like throwing a tantrum. What is worse is that he violated the law. He 
broke the law when he did it.

                              {time}  1800

  It wasn't just something to say, oh, I am sorry. He broke the law 
because he wanted to obstruct the meeting of this body, the vote of 
this body. The January 6 individuals have been talked about. If someone 
had done that on January 6, they would have been put in jail. The 
American people know it.
  They see that there is a double standard. They see that this side of 
the aisle cleans up its House. The other side is going to let people 
who have committed crimes continue to sit in office.
  The other side of the building is going to let someone who has taken 
bribes in the form of gold bars--apparently cash isn't good enough 
under Biden inflation. For a Democratic Member of the Senate to take 
cash is not enough. You have to take gold.
  We clean up, and we have a standard on this side of the aisle, and 
the American people know it. The standard on this side of the aisle is 
high. What is clear today is the standard on that side of the aisle is 
not.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I will say it again, this resolution is 
profoundly stupid.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Bowman).
  Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is painfully obvious to myself, my 
colleagues, and the American people that the Republican Party is deeply 
unserious and unable to legislate. Their censure resolution against me 
today continues to demonstrate their inability to govern and serve the 
American people.
  Over the last 3 years, I have tirelessly fought for my district and 
my constituents by bringing over $125 million to the district. I helped 
save members of my community over $7 million and resolved over 6,500 
constituent casework issues.
  I have introduced over 50 bills, resolutions, and amendments, and I 
had two bills on STEM education passed in the historic Chips and 
Science Act.
  Even today, as Republicans force a censure on me, I introduced a new 
bill, the College Athlete Right to Organize Act, to ensure college 
athletes get paid for their time and hard work. No matter the result of 
the censure vote tomorrow, my constituents know I will always continue 
to fight for them.
  Fighting for my district includes working to prevent a government 
shutdown. Just over 2 months ago, I was rushing to the Capitol to vote 
and prevent a Republican shutdown. When I tried to exit a door that I 
usually go through, it didn't open, and due to confusion and rush to go 
vote, I pulled the fire alarm.
  I immediately took responsibility and accountability for my actions 
and pled guilty. Immediately. The legal process on this matter has 
played out. In no way did I obstruct official proceedings. The vote 
took place and Democrats were able to ensure we avoided a government 
shutdown.
  Unfortunately, Republicans are here trying to rehash an already 
litigated matter. This is a matter in which the Republican-controlled 
House Committee on Ethics decided not to proceed with any further 
investigation.
  This is an insult to the people I was elected to represent. Instead 
of passing meaningful legislation for the American people, some 
Republicans are

[[Page H6192]]

using this censure to waste our time and money. They are trying to make 
you forget about all of the rights they want to destroy.
  They are trying to make you forget they want to take away your 
reproductive rights, your voting rights, your healthcare, your Social 
Security, and your Medicare.
  House Democrats have been trying to focus on and address the issues 
the American people care about.
  Can we please, please, please, please address the affordability 
crisis?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman from New York.
  Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, millions of Americans are struggling to put 
food on their tables, pay their rent, and keep the electricity on.
  Can we address the issue of gun violence.
  Just this week, we broke the record for the most mass shootings in a 
year and we have lost over 35,000 people due to gun violence.
  Can we address our crumbling public school infrastructure?
  Kids are learning in schools with asbestos, no air conditioning, and 
mold. It is hurting their ability to learn, grow, and thrive.
  Can we put an end to our massive spending on weapons and war, and 
instead invest in our communities and our kids?
  The number one thing I tried to do as a middle school principal and 
as an educator for 20 years was to teach my students when they made a 
mistake, they owned up to it, they took responsibility, and they held 
themselves accountable. That is exactly what I did. Yet, we are still 
here.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, although your district may appreciate all of those 
accomplishments, are we supposed to just forget about the crime that 
you committed?
  Perhaps, in education, maybe we should have studied a little harder. 
If you commit a crime, there is a penalty to that crime. You don't get 
to say: I committed a crime, but I did all these good things. All these 
good things erase this crime over here. It doesn't work that way.
  Again, I will say that it is not profoundly stupid to hold up the 
Constitution. The left may believe holding up the rights of the 
Constitution is profoundly stupid. I don't believe we do. I will again 
say that this hearing and this censure is not profoundly stupid. It is 
actually a hearing of where we followed the law.
  Mr. Speaker, the other fact that I may want to correct--I will 
correct the truth with maybe the other half of the truth--is 
``immediately'' means right away. So when you say, ``I immediately'' 
took action, ``I immediately''--well, the incident occurred 
on September 30. October 26 was when you pled guilty. I think that is a 
little bit longer than immediately. Again, maybe math wasn't my best 
subject either.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks 
to the Chair.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Gimenez).
  Mr. GIMENEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution.
  On September 30, while the House considered crucial legislation to 
avoid a government shutdown, Representative Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire 
alarm to disrupt proceedings, a crime for which he pled guilty. Let me 
repeat that again. A crime for which he pled guilty.
  As a career firefighter, who served for 25 years in the city of 
Miami, 9 years of which I served as its chief, I know just how serious 
this is. Every time a firefighter responds to an alarm, they are 
placing themselves and the public at risk.
  While that is a risk that we are willing to take to protect life and 
property, we should never put our first responders and the public at 
risk by pulling a false alarm. In fact, in 2021, over 40 police and 
firefighters died and were killed while responding to an alarm.
  While Representative Bowman initially claimed that he pulled the 
alarm thinking it would open a locked door, we know that that was a 
blatant lie.
  After pulling the alarm, Representative Bowman can be clearly seen on 
camera ripping down the emergency exit signs and fleeing the scene. He 
had every opportunity to alert Capitol Police to his mistake but chose 
not to.
  Had it been a simple mistake, I wouldn't be here. It wasn't a simple 
mistake.
  It is disgraceful that a Member of Congress would go to such lengths 
to break the law and put first responders and the public at risk to 
prevent the House from voting to keep government open so our Federal 
workers can receive their paychecks.
  For obstructing the House, putting first responders and the public at 
risk, and breaking D.C. laws, Representative Bowman should be censured 
before the House.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman talks about following the 
Constitution. Really? Coming from that side, it is laughable to hear 
that. There was silence about the crimes of Donald Trump; silence about 
what happened here on January 6. Silence.
  Do you want to talk about opening a door?
  The people who stormed this place broke down doors trying to kill 
people. Silence. I don't want to hear any lectures about upholding the 
Constitution. There is nothing but silence about the crimes of those 
who attacked this Capitol on January 6.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. 
Stevens).
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about my colleague, 
Mr. Jamaal Bowman, who I have the privilege of serving on two 
committees within this very Congress: the Education and Labor Committee 
and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
  I have seen Mr. Bowman fight for disability rights, childcare, 
affordable prescription drugs, and affordable housing. He has stood up 
to racism. He has stood up to the attacks on public education, attacks 
on teachers, and cuts to school nutrition. There is a unique and vital 
perspective Mr. Bowman brings to education issues in this Congress.
  In his freshman term, he served as a subcommittee chair for Energy. 
He was a Conference committee member on the Chips and Science Act, 
advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion, so that the jobs and 
profits could go to everyday Americans.
  This man does not deserve to be reprimanded. We should heed the 
leadership that he brings to education issues. He looks at AI and he 
asks: How can we solve the problems of tomorrow? If we could all do 
such a thing.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Alford).
  Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I really don't take any joy in being here 
standing before you today to address this matter of grave concern.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not trivial. This is not stupid. This is 
profoundly important; a solemn duty that I do not take lightly. This is 
not personal. This is not partisan. It is to protect this very body.
  Representative Jamaal Bowman was criminally charged and pleaded 
guilty to falsely pulling a fire alarm. While I applaud his confession, 
that doesn't mean this is without consequences. This act was not a mere 
lapse in judgment. It was not a mistake. It was not an accident.
  It was an intentional, calculated attempt to disrupt the very 
democratic process by halting a critical vote on this very floor, 
voting for government funding. If you don't believe it, watch the 
video.
  What should our response be as a House to this willful act of 
obstruction?
  Mr. Speaker, to this point, nothing has been done.
  This inaction sends a very dangerous message: that a Member of 
Congress can break the law and the norms of this institution to 
obstruct a vote without any consequences. We must rise above partisan 
politics and hold our own accountable.
  The integrity of our democratic process, the safety of our community, 
the trust of the American people, and the function of this body demands 
nothing less.
  We cannot allow the reckless, calculated actions of one individual to 
overshadow the critical work that this

[[Page H6193]]

body does. I am sure that Mr. Bowman is a fine Representative for the 
people of his district. This is not a joyous day for anyone here on 
this side of the aisle. This is a sad day for this body.
  It is an even sadder day if we do nothing about this egregious act. I 
recommend that the entire body vote ``yes'' for the censure.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, let me just respond to the gentleman by 
saying if this isn't political or partisan, I don't know what the hell 
is. This is a pathetic display that we are seeing here on the House 
floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Aguilar), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.
  Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the 
resolution because House Democrats want a functioning House of 
Representatives. We are in the midst of the least productive Congress 
since the Great Depression. This historic dysfunction is what happens 
when extreme MAGA Republicans dictate the agenda.

                              {time}  1815

  The majority is fixated on censures, expulsions, and impeachments. 
Meanwhile, the American public is worried about making ends meet.
  Where is the Republican urgency around lowering costs? Where are 
their solutions for their constituents who are worried about rent, 
groceries, and utilities?
  The truth is that they have no plan and no solutions. They are taking 
orders from the former President and being led by the most extreme 
members of their Conference.
  However, when House Democrats held the majority, we passed the 
bipartisan infrastructure law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, 
the bipartisan Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. 
These laws are creating good-paying jobs, lowering energy costs, and 
making schools safer in communities across this country.
  A vote for this resolution will further divide this body at a time 
when we should be coming together to make the needs of the American 
public front and center.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand with my colleague from New York, Mr. 
Bowman, and I urge a ``no'' vote.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining 
on each side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Michigan has 17 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 16\1/2\ minutes 
remaining.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Lawler).
  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, last week, I joined my colleague, Anthony 
D'Esposito, in introducing a resolution to expel disgraced former 
Congressman George Santos. It was warranted. It was warranted because 
he defrauded the voters and defrauded donors, and he is facing a 23-
count indictment.
  He did not belong in Congress. I was willing to take on a member of 
my own party and reduce our majority by one because he was unfit to 
serve.
  Now, as a Congressman from the 17th District of New York, I share 
Westchester County with Mr. Bowman. I have gotten to know Mr. Bowman 
throughout the course of my tenure here in Congress. We have even flown 
home together to Westchester County Airport.
  What happened on September 30 was wrong. I am sure he is embarrassed. 
He should be. As a former middle school principal, he understands the 
difference between a locked door and a fire alarm. To suggest that 
somehow he was confused is laughable.
  As the video evidence shows, he did push the door, and being locked, 
it didn't open. Nonetheless, he then took down the signs. He threw one 
on the ground, carried one, walked over to the fire alarm on the wall, 
and pulled the fire alarm. It didn't say: Pull to exit. It didn't say: 
In case of a locked door, pull the fire alarm and the door will open.
  No. It said: In case of emergency, pull fire alarm.
  He then proceeded to throw the other sign on the ground, and he ran 
past seven--one, two, three, four, five, six, seven--Capitol Police 
officers and did not utter one word about accidently and embarrassingly 
pulling a fire alarm.
  In fact, when the BOLO went out and the Capitol Police came to 
question him about it, he lawyered up. He then went and met with Leader 
Jeffries.
  That is not taking accountability right away. That is not taking 
responsibility. In fact, a few days after it happened, he called me 
directly to ask me: Please don't get on a censure or an expulsion 
resolution.
  I said to him: I will not do anything until I hear from the Capitol 
Police as to what happened.
  He told me: Oh, I won't be charged. They are dismissing it. I didn't 
do anything.
  They ended up referring it to prosecutors. He was charged, and he 
pled guilty.
  I don't think he should be expelled. I think what he did was wrong. I 
don't think it was an accident. It was absolutely done to disrupt a 
proceeding as the Democrats were pulling all sorts of stunts that day, 
including walking single file in to vote by paper even though they all 
had their electronic voting cards. Hakeem Jeffries was doing his magic 
minute. We all know what it was.
  Let's be honest. Let's take accountability here.
  If you are taking accountability, then you should actually tell your 
colleagues: Do you know what? I did wrong. I accept the censure.
  Instead, you are sitting there smirking and laughing. I don't think 
your constituents think it is funny. In fact, I know they don't think 
it is funny because of the number of times I get calls from your 
constituents.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman from New York.
  Mr. LAWLER. The number of times I get calls from your constituents 
and the amount of time my office gets inundated with requests from your 
constituents, like when you shut your office down for 2 weeks in 
August--all the offices shut down. Do you know how many cases we had to 
take on? Calls came from Jewish constituents who don't feel that they 
can go to you for help.
  They don't think it is funny. The people of Westchester County don't 
think it is funny.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of 
this censure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are, again, reminded to direct their 
remarks to the Chair.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, let me just say to my Republican 
colleagues: Are you listening to yourselves talk?
  We are in the House Chamber. Heads of state address this body. We 
have debates about war and peace, and you are talking about a fire 
alarm? I mean, give me a break.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks 
to the Chair.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Ocasio-Cortez).
  Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I think the Republican side of the 
aisle made the case quite clearly today as to why we should not vote 
for censure. Right now, you can tell how weak their arguments are 
because they are grasping for straws, trying to do their best ``My 
Cousin Vinny'' impersonation as to breaking down what happened here 
with a fire alarm.
  Jamaal Bowman has more courage in his pinkie finger than the entire 
Republican Party put together and more integrity than the entire 
Republican Party put together. That is exactly why they are moving to 
censure him today.
  Mr. Speaker, let me tell you what is actually going on. New York 
Republicans are so embarrassed that they propped up George Santos, got 
him elected to office, and then had to turn around and vote to expel 
him that they want to distract the entire world from their massive 
embarrassment.
  New York Republicans are so embarrassed that they have not 
accomplished a damn thing for New Yorkers this entire year that they 
have to find a distraction, so they have decided to target one of the 
first Black men to ever represent Westchester County in the United 
States Congress for censure. That is what today is about.
  Moreover, New York Republicans are so unfocused and so unable to make

[[Page H6194]]

people's lives better that they have decided to bully their colleague. 
That is what today is about.
  They are wasting our time, and they are wasting the country's time 
over some petty--what rises to censure? I mean, truly, these arguments 
that are being made here, what is next? Jaywalking? Do you want to get 
us for jaywalking and for not crossing the street correctly? Is that 
what you are going to raise for censure next?
  This is truly ridiculous. It is beneath the character of the House, 
and it is beneath the stature and the status of what rises to 
consideration before this body.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I agree. I wish we didn't have to be here. 
We should, as most sports teams do, clean up our own locker room. That 
would be the best-case scenario, as we actually did with a member of 
our Conference. We cleaned up our own locker room. It would be nice if 
the other side would clean up theirs.
  So, I agree with you, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. I loved your ``My Cousin 
Vinny'' analogy. That was funny, but this isn't a funny thing. It was 
good, but this isn't funny.
  You committed a crime to try to disrupt a proceeding. This is 
serious. I think it is a little more serious than jaywalking when you 
try to disrupt the business of the House.
  Again, I wish we weren't here because I wish you all would clean up 
your own locker room so we could really get on to the people's 
business. We can do both.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. 
Greene).
  Ms. GREENE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, September 30, 2023, 
the House of Representatives was considering a continuing resolution to 
avoid a government shutdown. Minutes after the Democratic whip made a 
motion to adjourn, Jamaal Bowman decided to pull a fire alarm. He 
pulled that fire alarm intentionally and willfully, and he knew exactly 
what he was doing.
  This happened in the Cannon House Office Building, where my office is 
located. I happened to have been in my office when he pulled the fire 
alarm. This caused the Cannon House Office Building to be evacuated, 
and my staff and I could not return to our office for several hours.
  Once the fire alarm was pulled, the elevators shut down. It made it 
very difficult for everyone to leave the building, especially if they 
were handicapped. People had to go down the stairs in order to exit as 
the fire alarm was blaring. Not only that, all the staff had to leave. 
They were not allowed to reenter for a very long time.
  Capitol Police were scrambling, trying to figure out what had 
happened, if there was a fire, and if there was a threat to our safety 
and security. They had to go into an investigation immediately in order 
to understand why the fire alarm was going.
  Jamaal Bowman did not tell the Capitol Police that he pulled the fire 
alarm even though he admitted himself that, when he makes a mistake, he 
would tell his own students: If you have made a mistake, own up to it 
and take accountability.
  Jamaal Bowman had plenty of opportunity to admit his mistake and take 
accountability for his own actions. He should have told Capitol Police 
immediately that he made a mistake, as he claimed.
  It wasn't a mistake, Mr. Speaker. It was on purpose. It was 
intentional. It was all in part to play the games and the shenanigans 
that the Democrats were pulling that day as they were trying to block 
the continuing resolution that was being considered on the House floor.

  Remember, Mr. Speaker, the fire alarm was pulled minutes after the 
Democratic whip made a motion to adjourn.
  More importantly, he was intentionally playing his part to obstruct 
an official proceeding.
  By the way, this is the same thing that has been used against January 
6 defendants and is still being used to this day. They are being locked 
up, held in pretrial detention, and being prosecuted by the Department 
of Justice nearly 3 years later for obstructing an official proceeding, 
which is exactly what Jamaal Bowman, a Member of Congress, did on 
September 30.
  We have a two-tiered justice system in Washington, D.C. Regular 
people walked into the Capitol. By the way, many nonviolent offenders 
walked in open doors. Some of them who also were standing out on the 
lawn and never entered the Capitol are being charged for obstructing an 
official proceeding.
  Yet, Jamaal Bowman says that it was a mistake and that he should get 
a pass. His colleagues make excuses for him and call us unserious.
  Do you know what is unserious, Mr. Speaker? Having a justice system 
that doesn't hold everyone accountable and doesn't treat people the 
same way.
  This is an outrage, and this is a disgrace to this institution and 
this body.
  For someone who is a former principal and who punished his own 
students for intentionally pulling fire alarms to make up petty excuses 
and think that his own constituents and the American people will buy 
his lie is a slap in the face to his voters, the people whom he 
represents, this entire country, and every single one of us who serves 
in this body.

                              {time}  1830

  I would also add that if anyone is going to be charged and forced to 
remain in jail, forced to be serving prison time for obstructing an 
official proceeding, then Jamaal Bowman should face the exact same fate 
of every single January 6 defendant.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this censure 
resolution, and I thank Representative McClain for introducing it.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, it is really rich to get a lecture from 
someone about civility who stood on this House floor and screamed and 
interrupted the President of the United States during his state of the 
Union, or somebody who continues to circle the wagons and cheer on the 
insurrectionists who attacked this Capitol violently on January 6.
  I was the last person off the House floor on that day, and I saw what 
happened. Then for people to come down here and defend those actions, 
it is pathetic and disgusting.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan 
(Ms. Tlaib).
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, they are so desperate. You all are so 
desperate to distract from the fact that you all have nothing to 
improve the lives of the American people or end the ongoing genocide.
  Now, you are trying to shift the focus by baselessly attacking 
Representative Bowman to score cheap political points, comparing him to 
the white supremacists on January 6 who were smashing windows in the 
Capitol and screaming: ``Hang Mike Pence.'' Give me a break.
  Your inability to govern is so obvious to the American people. You 
all can't even find enough Republicans to pass a budget or even keep a 
Speaker. This is yet another attempt to silence a person of color in 
this Chamber. We all see it.
  This is all about the fact that Representative Bowman calls out your 
hypocrisy. The Republicans need to leave him alone and get a grip. The 
Republicans should do something that will actually improve the lives of 
the American people that you all represent. Vote ``no'' on this cheap 
political stunt.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I would just remind you that we talk about 
baseless claims. If I am not mistaken, Capitol Police did an 
investigation, referred it to the District of Columbia that did an 
investigation, and Representative Bowman pled guilty to a crime. I 
don't think that is baseless. In fact, I think that is basis for crime 
and that is basis for this censure. Because baseless means you have no 
cause, Mr. Speaker, and I think the mere fact that Mr. Bowman pled 
guilty isn't baseless. It is basis for a crime.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would, once again, remind all 
Members, on both sides of the aisle, to direct their remarks to the 
Chair and not to each other in the second person.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Jeffries), the Democratic leader.
  Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this 
fake, fraudulent, and fictitious censure resolution.
  The proceedings here on the floor of the House of Representatives 
have been

[[Page H6195]]

a complete and total embarrassment. Extreme MAGA Republicans have 
stooped to a new low, and that is very difficult based on the events 
that have taken place under this Republican majority throughout this 
year.
  Jamaal Bowman has taken public responsibility for the fire alarm 
incident. He has apologized, explained the circumstances under which it 
occurred. He has been held publicly accountable by the D.C. Superior 
Court, paid a $1,000 fine, and the Ethics Committee, under a Republican 
chair, on a bipartisan basis here in this Congress made clear that no 
further action was required.
  It begs the question: Why is the author of this resolution and the 
extreme MAGA Republicans on the floor of the House wasting time and 
taxpayer resources trying to undermine the credibility of Jamaal 
Bowman?
  He is someone who is doing his best to serve his constituents, 
including in some of the poorest sections of the Bronx, and extreme 
MAGA Republicans have us on the floor with this sad and silly charade.
  Now, the extreme MAGA Republicans have said, including the author of 
this resolution, that this is about law and order. Give us a break. All 
you have done is demonstrate throughout the years, including on January 
6 and thereafter, that you are not the party of law and order. Extreme 
MAGA Republicans are the party of lawlessness and disorder.
  As a matter of fact, the author of this resolution has endorsed 
Donald Trump, with multiple indictments. Someone who undertook a crime 
wave over and over and over again, proudly smirking now that she stands 
behind Donald Trump, and then wants to communicate to us that this is 
about law and order when you are the party of lawlessness and disorder.
  In fact, the author of this resolution voted to overturn the will of 
the American people on January 6, and then came back, like the majority 
of her extreme MAGA Republican colleagues after the violent 
insurrection, after the Capitol was overrun by a violent mob, after 
more than 100 Capitol Police officers were seriously injured, and then 
voted still, not for law and order, not for accountability, and not for 
the Constitution. You voted with the insurrectionists.
  Give us a break, lecturing us about the Constitution and law and 
order. Your own record suggests that is a phony argument. Nobody is 
buying it.
  The American people aren't buying it. We will make sure the people of 
Michigan won't buy it.
  It has been very interesting watching extreme MAGA Republicans in 
this debate acting like detectives on the House floor. Extreme MAGA 
Republicans pretending to be Perry Mason. Extreme MAGA Republicans 
pretending to be Matlock. Extreme MAGA Republicans pretending to be 
Cagney & Lacey, not even worthy of being held to the standard of 
Inspector Gadget and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. That is how 
embarrassing your display on the House floor has been.

  This is a serious matter. Your behavior on the House floor is a 
serious matter, and I have the floor. I have the floor.
  The behavior of the extreme MAGA Republicans censuring Member after 
Member after Member has brought disgrace to the institution, to the 
House of Representatives.
  This behavior has brought disgrace; not the underlying censure. There 
has been accountability in the ways that we have all described. The 
effort to weaponize the censure--what happened, Mr. Speaker, to 
civility? What happened to trying to foster an environment where we can 
solve problems on behalf of the American people?
  We don't take these arguments of civility seriously because the 
overwhelming majority of the extreme MAGA Republican Conference 
supports the violent insurrectionists and supports the insurrectionist-
in-chief, twice impeached, under Federal indictment repeatedly for 
breaking the law and violating the Constitution.
  Here we are on the House floor because extreme MAGA Republicans have 
no plan. Extreme MAGA Republicans have no policies. Extreme MAGA 
Republicans have made no progress for hardworking American taxpayers on 
any issue, and so you are here to try to distract.
  We are not going to let it happen. We are not going to let extreme 
MAGA Republicans distract the people of Michigan, distract the people 
of New York, distract the people of America. We are on the House floor 
wasting time talking about fire alarms--not the economy, not inflation, 
not affordable housing, not lowering costs, not the gun violence 
epidemic that continues to claim the lives of our young people all 
across America. Extreme MAGA Republicans have us on the House floor 
talking about fire alarms. How silly is that under these circumstances?
  Social Security is under assault. Medicare is under assault. 
Reproductive freedom is under assault. The Affordable Care Act is under 
assault. Democracy itself is under assault, and extreme MAGA 
Republicans are wasting time on the House floor talking about fire 
alarms under these circumstances.
  They are embarrassing themselves. It is petty, it is pathetic, and it 
is petulant.
  Now, House Democrats have said from the very beginning of this 
Congress that we will find bipartisan common ground with our Republican 
colleagues on any issue whenever and wherever necessary in order to 
make life better for the American people on any issue, but we will push 
back against Republican extremism whenever necessary, and you have 
crossed a line once again.
  We will call out MAGA extremism in the loudest, strongest, most 
direct way possible. This extreme MAGA Republicans' do-nothing 
Republican Congress has done nothing to improve the lives of the 
American people all over the land. This do-nothing Republican Congress 
has failed to solve a single problem on behalf of hardworking American 
taxpayers. This do-nothing Republican Congress has failed to do a 
single thing to improve the quality of life of the American people.
  If extreme MAGA Republicans are going to continue to try to weaponize 
the censure as is being done on this floor right now, going after 
Democrats repeatedly week after week after week because you have 
nothing better to do, then I volunteer. Censure me next. That is how 
worthless your censure effort is. It has no credibility, no integrity, 
and no legitimacy.
  Republicans should censure me next. I will take that censure and I 
will wear it next week, next month, next year like a badge of honor. I 
will go home, sleep well, and say to myself, today was a good day.

                              {time}  1845

  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, therein lies the problem. I am one of the 
so-called MAGA Republicans which, again, I don't apologize for.
  Under MAGA Republican leadership, I might remind everybody, crime was 
down--or excuse me, crime was up--crime was down under the last 
administration. Clearly, crime was down. The economy was up.
  All of these problems that we are dealing with in this Congress 
today, Mr. Speaker, have been created by the Biden administration and 
created by my friends on the left. That is the truth. Those are the 
facts.
  Under the MAGA Republicans, how many wars were we fighting overseas? 
Zero. What was the crime rate? Down. Again, we have some serious 
problems since the Democrats, this administration, took office, and 
therein lies the problem.
  You want to talk about law and order. You want to talk about Cagney & 
Lacey and Ace Ventura, that is cute. That is cute.
  Mr. Speaker, you want to talk about a disgrace to this body? Doing 
investigative work and actually following due process, that is what we 
are supposed to do. That is what I thought we did.
  I will not apologize for following law and order, but under the 
Democrats' law and order, you shouldn't go through any investigation. 
You should just on a whim do some impeachment. That is what the other 
side of the aisle does.
  We clean up our locker room, but when you commit a crime, it is 
unfortunate that we have to bring this to the table. As much as they 
want to compare us and call us names, they can continue to do that, but 
the facts speak for themselves. We waited until an investigation was 
completed before we brought this censure resolution. We

[[Page H6196]]

didn't do it on a whim. That is law and order. If that is Cagney & 
Lacey, following due process, perhaps, Mr. Speaker, my friends on the 
other side of the aisle could use a little investigative reporting and 
some detective work themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Michigan has 1 minute 
remaining. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 11\1/2\ minutes 
remaining.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time for 
closing.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, oh, my goodness, I had trouble following 
the gentlewoman. I mean, was crime up or down in the last 
administration? The one thing I can say with certainty is that crime 
was way up in the White House in the last administration without a 
doubt.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Frost).
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I grew up not understanding why people 
throughout the country didn't hold Congress in high regard, but I can 
just imagine the people turning on C-SPAN, turning on the news, hearing 
the arguments that we are hearing from the other side of the aisle, and 
then it just makes sense to me.
  Let's recap what the American people have witnessed over the last few 
years: A Member who physically assaulted a colleague, a Republican 
Member who tried to bring a gun on the House floor, a Republican 
colleague who brought January 6 insurrectionists into the Capitol.
  This is the least productive Congress that we have had since the 
Great Depression, and this entire party is pushing us toward a shutdown 
and economic collapse daily, but it is Congressman Bowman, who is a 
thoughtful former educator and staunch defender of democracy, who they 
want to censure. What a pathetic waste of time. No wonder half of this 
country doesn't vote when they turn on the TV and see their leaders 
wasting time like this.
  We need more educators in Congress like Congressman Bowman, not 
fewer, and maybe if we had more educators here, they would be able to 
give my Republican colleagues a class on how to truly govern.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Washington State (Ms. Jayapal).
  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Bowman is a brilliant, 
committed, progressive Member who has dedicated his life to equity and 
opportunity for kids. He is a leader in economics, education, and 
racial justice. He is a leader of the Green New Deal for public 
schools, and legislation to pay artists what they are worth.
  He made a mistake. He apologized. He paid the fine. The Ethics 
Committee declined to further investigate this matter. That should be 
the end of this.
  However, what are we doing here? Republicans would rather waste time 
with political stunts and demonizing a Black Member. They want people 
to forget that they want to strip healthcare from Americans. They want 
people to forget that they want to cut Social Security and Medicare, 
the two most important and trusted programs in the country. They want 
people to forget that they are denying election results on that side, 
your right to vote.
  Right now they will do anything to distract from what they are really 
doing. There is nothing to show for the majority but chaos, infighting, 
and cruelty.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Washington.
  Ms. JAYAPAL. I just have to end with this. Just a few weeks ago, 
Congressman Chip Roy stood on the floor of this Chamber and called for 
his fellow Republican colleagues to ``come explain to me one material, 
meaningful significant thing the Republican majority has done. . . . `'
  The answer is obvious. Nothing.
  Oppose this resolution.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Ms. Omar).
  Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, it is understandable why the author of this 
censure doesn't know what is up and what is down because obviously 
someone who wants to talk about crime supports a former President 
currently running for President that is facing 91 Federal and 
State indictments.

  It is clear she doesn't know what is up or down because we sit on the 
Education and the Workforce Committee together talking about how she 
wants to help our kids, but all she wants to do is criminalize their 
ability to exist as individuals.
  It makes sense that she doesn't know what is up or down because she 
keeps talking about accountability, and she doesn't understand that 
criminal charges are accountability. Pleading guilty is taking 
accountability. That is what the gentleman has done.
  The only reason we are here is because she wants more time on camera. 
It is to make sure there is an ability to send a fundraiser asking for 
money.
  This censure is not necessary because this gentleman has already been 
held accountable.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, we need to be accountable to this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the censure 
of Representative Jamaal Bowman. This is yet another predictable but no 
less wasteful action.
  Congressman Bowman has taken accountability for his mistake, and even 
Republicans on the Ethics Committee agree that this is a waste of time.
  We have got 99 problems, but a functional government of the 
Republican majority is not one of them.
  Republicans are disconnected, dysfunctional, discriminating, and a 
disappointment to the American people. They can't pass a bill to fund 
our public schools, but they will bring this resolution to attack 
Congressman Bowman, a champion for students, a lifelong educator, a 
duly elected Member of Congress, and a strong Black man. He honors the 
legacy of the many brilliant Black men who came before him.
  A quick history lesson: We are approaching the anniversary of when 
Joseph Rainey became the first Black Member of the U.S. House of 
Representatives in December of 1870. Just like Jamaal Bowman, he fought 
for public education and civil rights, and he had to deal with double 
standards and racism in Congress.
  This censure is just the latest in this Chamber's racist history of 
telling Black men that they don't belong in Congress.
  To the Black men of this Nation, know that you belong everywhere.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Massachusetts.
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for you, and I am fighting 
for you right alongside him.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this resolution.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Missouri (Ms. Bush).
  Ms. BUSH. Mr. Speaker, St. Louis and I rise because we are tired of 
extreme Republican antics that seek to put politics over the needs of 
people.
  Under Republican leadership, the House has successfully passed just 
14 bills. Some of these were bills to punt an impending government 
shutdown, which we all know was only avoided thanks to the Democrats.
  Let us not forget that their complete and utter inability to govern 
resulted in an entire Chamber of Congress being unable to perform its 
basic duties for 17 days, 17 failed Speaker votes, and multiple failed 
Speaker candidates. Their House is not in order.
  Republicans haven't delivered on any top public priorities like 
strengthening Social Security, delivering environmental protections, or 
boosting our economy. Politically motivated censures like this one that 
target Black and Brown Members of Congress like this one are not only a 
waste of time, they are a distraction.
  The people aren't falling for it. Republicans should actually 
legislate rather than play useless political games like this attempt to 
censure Representative Jamaal Bowman.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  I apologize to the American people. I apologize that Republicans are 
wasting

[[Page H6197]]

their hard-earned taxpayer money with yet another stupid and 
meaningless censure resolution instead of doing anything that will help 
the American people.
  Jamaal Bowman is a good man, a decent man, a kind man. He was rushing 
to exit a House Office Building so he could go vote, and he activated a 
fire alarm in the process of trying to open a door.
  Did he destroy government property? No.
  Did he obstruct an official proceeding? No.
  Did he wield a deadly weapon? No.
  Did he assault or injure anyone? No.
  However, did he apologize and take responsibility for his actions? 
Yes, he did.
  That is more than we can say for January 6, when this building was 
desecrated by an angry mob sent by Trump to overturn an election. 
Republican Members of this body still act like nothing happened. How 
disgusting. How offensive it is to the men and women who protect us 
that my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to act like 
nothing happened that day.
  At the end of the day, this has nothing to do with Congressman 
Bowman, and my friends know that. It is about deflecting from how 
unhinged this majority is. They had to expel one of their own Members 
last week, for God's sake. They had the first Speaker in history to be 
ousted. They have nothing of any consequence to show for an entire year 
in the majority. Nothing. They have done nothing. They have wasted time 
on stupid measures like this. Nothing.
  This whole exercise is just nuts. For Republicans, it is all about 
appeasing their orange overlord in Mar-a-Lago who can do no wrong.
  They don't care about governing. They aren't fit to govern. They 
aren't concerned about the serious and complex issues facing this 
country, the world, or the people we represent. For them, being in 
power is all about retaliation and revenge, and the destruction of 
their perceived enemies. It is time for the Republican Party to grow 
up.

  Mr. Speaker, I don't want to waste another second on this meaningless 
resolution. This is pathetic. The Republicans have turned this Chamber 
into a place where trivial issues get debated passionately and 
important ones not at all.
  My friends have done nothing--not a damn thing--for the people that 
they say they represent. How can anybody on the other side of the aisle 
go home with a straight face and say that they are representing their 
constituents? They have produced nothing for them. They have turned 
this place into a joke.
  It is sad that we are here today. Again, I will end as I began, by 
apologizing to the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this pathetic, stupid 
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, in case my colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle need clarification, I want to make it clear, the American 
people know that they are not better off than they were 4 years ago, 
and they know it is Democrats in this Congress and the White House that 
have put them in this anguish as we see today, just to clear things up.
  All we have heard from congressional Democrats is excuse after excuse 
for Representative Bowman's criminal behavior. I daresay, Mr. Speaker, 
that if a Republican did what Mr. Bowman did, that every single Member 
on the Democratic side would be down here calling for censure, if not 
expulsion.
  Mr. Bowman himself, despite pleading guilty, said it was an accident. 
How? Someone looks at a sign that says ``Fire'' and thinks, hmm, I 
wonder what this will do?
  Mr. Chairman, I urge everyone to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The previous question is ordered on the 
resolution.
  The question is on adoption of the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question are postponed.

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