Progressive 'Squad' Democrat accused of pulling fire alarm amid tense shutdown talks

Bowman is being questioned by Capitol Police, sources said

Republicans are in a ‘political pickle’ with the government shutdown debate: Tim Head

Democratic Party Chair Scott Bolden and Faith and Freedom Coalition executive director Tim Head joined ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss the potential for a government shutdown as the deadline approaches.

Progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., pulled a fire alarm in one of the House of Representatives’ three office buildings amid a chaotic morning as lawmakers scrambled to avert a likely government shutdown, the House Administration Committee said.

Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said the matter is being investigated now. Sources told Fox News and Fox News Digital that Bowman is being questioned by the Capitol Police's criminal investigation unit.

"Rep. Jamal Bowman pulled a fire alarm in Cannon this morning. An investigation into why it was pulled is underway," Steil said in a statement. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Bowman’s office for comment but did not immediately get a response.

progressive squad democrat accused of pulling fire alarm amid tense shutdown talks

Representative Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The TikTok chief executive officer plans to tell Congress on Thursday his app does more to protect young users than rival social media and that Beijing has no authority over its data.  (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sources said the incident was caught on camera, though video was not immediately available to Fox News Digital.

It happened just after House Republicans announced they would rush a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution (CR) to the House floor on Saturday, just as the Senate is weighing its own CR as well. 

Democrats were caught off-guard by the announcement and complained the GOP was not giving them enough time to properly read the bill, which is over 70 pages long. 

This story is breaking and will be updated…

Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Authored by Elizabeth Elkind,Chad Pergram,Houston Keene via FoxNews September 30th 2023