Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York says he mistakenly triggered a fire alarm in a congressional office building Saturday afternoon as elected officials were preparing to vote on a spending bill to avert a potential government shutdown.
Republicans alleged that Bowman was trying to delay the vote and have called for him to be punished, but the Democrat said in a statement that the incident occurred as he was rushing to cast his vote and arrived at a closed door that is usually open.
