Rep. Jamaal Bowman may have gotten a sweetheart plea deal after he illegally pulled a fire alarm in the Capitol Building, but he'll face no punishment at all in the House of Representatives.

(Also See: Noted Fire Alarm Expert Jamaal Bowman Tells Gross Antisemitic Lie, Trashes Joe Biden for Good Measure)

The House Ethics Committee voted on Wednesday and chose to not open an investigation into Bowman's conduct despite ample evidence existing that he did so to postpone a vote on the floor. That follows on the heels of the DOJ also deciding not to press the issue, with no charge for obstructing an official proceeding even being entertained.

BREAKING: The House Ethics Committee just voted against opening an investigation into Rep. Jamaal Bowman for pulling the fire alarm.

No DOJ charge for "obstructing an official proceeding" for Bowman or investigation from House Ethics.

Just one misdemeanor. pic.twitter.com/Z4AEAAN14z

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 22, 2023

The Ethics Committee is split evenly between the parties, with five Republican and five Democrat members. While the vote breakdown isn't known, a logical assumption would be that all the Democrats voted not to investigate Bowman, causing a tie vote. A majority is required to move forward. 

I'd say I'm astonished by this outcome, but I'd be lying. It was completely predictable that Democrats would circle the wagons and not let this get any further. That's something Republicans would never do because they are too hopelessly splintered as a party. 

Political calculations aside, though, the idea that Bowman doesn't deserve congressional scrutiny after he literally committed a crime (and pleaded guilty to it) is objectively crazy. Why does the Ethics Committee even exist if it can't be counted on to take action in that scenario? Keep in mind, this is the same committee that has had ample proof that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broke campaign finance laws and lied about it, yet has done nothing to advance the issue, much less come to a conclusion. 

Once again, the machinations of the federal government prove to be impotent and worthless. They will never hold their own accountable because there is no incentive to do so. In this case, you have a guy who allegedly committed a felony by obstructing a congressional proceeding, and Congress itself is just shrugging. At the very least, where's the vote to censure Bowman for his conduct? 

Perhaps there's a lesson here, though. A federal government that is this worthless and corrupt makes the case for its own reduction. Why would anyone want to give more power to these people? Bowman getting off scot-free is just another example of why Washington as an entity should be neutered, with control given back to state and local authorities.