GOP wants Rep. Jamaal Bowman punished after he triggered a fire alarm on Saturday

 GOP wants Rep. Jamaal Bowman punished after he triggered a

 fire alarm on Saturday

Republicans are calling for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) to be punished after he triggered a fire alarm in a congressional office building on Saturday afternoon.

Bowman has admitted to triggering the alarm, but he says he did so accidentally while rushing to cast a vote on a spending bill to avert a potential government shutdown. He said he arrived at a closed door that is usually open and mistakenly thought that pulling the fire alarm would open it.

"I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door," Bowman said in a statement. "I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused."

Republicans, however, are skeptical of Bowman's explanation. They allege that he triggered the alarm on purpose to delay the vote and force a government shutdown.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called on the House Ethics Committee to investigate the incident and said that Bowman should be punished if it is found that he did intentionally trigger the alarm.

"This is a serious matter," McCarthy said. "We cannot allow members to abuse their power in this way. If Mr. Bowman did intentionally trigger the fire alarm, he should be held accountable."

Other Republicans echoed McCarthy's calls for punishment.

"This is a stunt," said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). "He's trying to delay the vote and force a government shutdown. He should be punished for this."

Democrats, however, are defending Bowman. They say that he is a conscientious member of Congress who would never intentionally do anything to harm his constituents.

"Rep. Bowman has admitted to making a mistake, and he has apologized for it," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). "There is no need for further investigation or punishment."

It remains to be seen whether the House Ethics Committee will investigate the incident or whether Bowman will be punished. However, the episode has highlighted the partisan divide in Congress and the deep mistrust that exists between Republicans and Democrats.