Tenure
Upon his swearing-in, Bowman joined The Squad, a group of progressive Democratic lawmakers.
In January 2021, following the storming of the United States Capitol, Bowman introduced the Congressional Oversight of Unjust Policing Act (COUP Act) to establish a commission to investigate how United States Capitol Police handled the storming of the Capitol and to look at potential ties of some of its members to white nationalism. Bowman said that introducing the bill was "critical when you look at the disparity in terms of how the Capitol Police responded to the insurrection on Wednesday, versus how they responded to—not just [Black Lives Matter] protestors this summer, but other people of color, and people who are disabled, historically". The legislation came after Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer called for the Capitol Police chief's resignation.
On November 5, 2021, Bowman was one of six House Democrats to break with their party and vote against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because it did not include the Build Back Better Act.
In 2023, Bowman reintroduced H.R. 4108, the Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act, which he had cosponsored in 2021 with Nydia Velázquez. The bill aimed to establish a pilot grant program introducing plant-based food and beverage options in school lunches. Bowman did not cosponsor the bill in the 2023-2024 session, though he publicly voiced support for it.
Bowman was among the 46 House Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
On September 30, 2023, while House Democrats were attempting to delay a vote on a bill that would avoid a government shutdown, Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building. Bowman's action caused the building to be evacuated for an hour and a half. Bowman initially claimed that he had set off the alarm by accident, telling reporters, "I thought the alarm would open the door". His office circulated a memo with "suggested talking points" about the incident among Democratic colleagues, which was subsequently obtained by the media. One such talking point read "I believe Congressman Bowman when he says this was an accident. Republicans need to instead focus their energy on the Nazi members of their party before anything else." Bowman later apologized and stated that he had not approved the use of the term "Nazi". Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) alleged that Bowman activated the fire alarm as a delay tactic and promised that Bowman would be punished. Other House Republicans suggested disciplinary measures ranging from censure to expulsion.
After a Capitol Police investigation, Bowman accepted a deal in which he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor crime of falsely pulling a fire alarm, paid the maximum fine of $1,000, and wrote a letter of apology to police; in exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the charges against him after three months. Bowman paid the required fine. In January 2024, the charges against Bowman were dismissed and his guilty plea was withdrawn.
On December 7, 2023, the House censured Bowman for his conduct in the fire alarm incident. The vote was 214 to 191, with five members voting "present", and three Democrats; Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (WA-03); joining House Republicans in voting to censure Bowman. Afterwards, the House Ethics Committee dropped its review of Bowman's actions as moot.
In September 2021, Bowman voted in favor of providing Israel with an additional $1 billion in aid to fund its Iron Dome missile defense system. His vote was controversial among members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and sparked debate within the DSA about whether it should require that its members support Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel. A spokesman confirmed in October 2023 that Bowman had let his DSA membership expire in 2022 following DSA's response to his vote. But in May 2024, Bowman rejoined the organization and was endorsed by its New York City chapter. This came as he faced a strong primary challenge from George Latimer, who was endorsed by many pro-Israel lobby groups.
Bowman was among 51 House Democrats who voted against the final passage of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. Explaining his vote, he said, "it is astounding how quickly Congress moves weapons but we can't ensure housing, care, and justice for our veterans, nor invest in robust jobs programs for districts like mine."
On July 18, 2023, Bowman and eight other progressive Democrats voted against a congressional non-binding resolution proposed by August Pfluger that "the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia", and that "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel".
On October 25, Bowman and eight other progressive Democrats, along with Republican Thomas Massie, voted against a resolution supporting Israel following the October 7 attacks.
On November 17, Bowman called reports of Israeli women being raped during the 2023 Hamas attack "propaganda" and a "lie". After Politico reached out to his office about his statements in March 2024, Bowman retracted his previous remarks. Bowman apologized in June 2024, saying, "Immediately when the U.N. provided additional evidence, I voted to condemn the sexual violence." The liberal Zionist pro-Israel lobbying group J Street withdrew its endorsement of Bowman on January 29, 2024, citing the "framing and approach" of his response to the Hamas attack, with J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami saying that Bowman had "gone too far".
