Member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 16th district Jamaal Bowman (pictured right) issued a written statement in which he accidentally set off the fire alarm at the Congress building during the vote on the stopgap bill.
"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. But I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote," Bowman said.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy previously called for the opening of an ethics investigation into the incident, which he labeled as an "embarrassment."
