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House Votes to Censure Jamaal Bowman, With Even Democrats Joining in

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  December 07, 2023 1:00 PM

On Thursday morning, the House voted to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), making him the 27th member to be censured, and the third member to meet such a fate in just a matter of months. On September 30, Bowman had pulled the fire alarm to exit the House Cannon building, even though there was no fire. House Democrats had been complaining about needing more time to read a bill to avert a government shutdown, which ultimately passed. Bowman entered a guilty plea less than a month later to the misdemeanor charge brought by the DC attorney general, although that charge could soon be dropped. The vote was even bipartisan, with three Democrats voting to censure their colleague, and no Republicans voting against the resolution that was brought by Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) on Tuesday. The vote was 214-191.

Democratic Reps. Jahana Hayes (CT), Chris Pappas (NH), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA) all voted in favor of censuring Bowman. Four of them voted "present," including Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Glenn Ivey (MD), Deborah Ross (NC), and Susan Wild (PA). Fifteen Democrats did not vote.

Eight Republicans did not vote, and Rep. Andy Harris (MD) voted "present."

After the vote took place, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) read the results, and Bowman appeared in the well to receive the rebuke. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who was censured last month after spreading anti-Israel narratives and even defending the use of the genocidal phrase "from the river to the sea," did not have to receive any such rebuke in the well. Back in June, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was censured for his falsehoods on Russia collusion to do with the 2016 presidential election. He too had to appear in the well, to much raucous behavior from his fellow Democrats.

The move to censure Bowman comes less than one week after the House expelled now former Rep. George Santos (R-NY). Before being forced out of office, Santos had made a move to also expel his fellow New Yorker.

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Santos is facing multiple federal charges, and a House Ethics Committee was also released last month, highlighting concerns about use of campaign finances. The indicted former congressman has not been found guilty of a crime, though, unlike Bowman who took a plea deal. Thus, a new precedent was set in expelling someone not found guilty of a crime or who had fought for the Confederacy.

In Bowman's case, a deal was struck, and the charge will be withdrawn in three months if Bowman pays a $1,000 fine and writes an apology letter, and the House Ethics Committee declined late last month to take further action on him. This comes even after House Ethics Committee Chairman (R-MS) ended up voting to censure Bowman on Thursday, with, as mentioned above, Committee Ranking Member Wild voting "present."