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U.S. Capitol Police are investigating after a fire alarm was triggered in a congressional office building on Saturday before the House vote on a stopgap spending bill. U.S. Capitol Police are investigating after a fire alarm was trigger ed in a congressional office building before the House of Representatives voted on a stopgap spending bill as a government shutdown looms. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., admitted to pulling the alarm in the Cannon House Office Building -- though told ABC News the incident was an " innocent mistake ." "I was rushing to make a vote," Bowman said. "I didn't know it would trigger the whole building," he added. Bowman said he thought the alarm -- which is red and says "FIRE" in capital letters -- would open the door he typically uses to get from his office building to the Capitol for votes. ABC News obtained a screenshot of a Capitol security video showing Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., pulling the fire alarm on Sep...

Special counsel raises more concerns over Trump's attacks on witnesses, suggests he may have violated law against purchasing firearm. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office filed a reply Friday evening to former President Trump’s opposition to the prosecution's proposed gag order in Trump's federal election interference case. Smith's office raises new concerns about Trump's recent public statements attacking prosecutors and other potential witnesses and also suggests he may have violated a law prohibiting people under felony indictment from purchasing firearms. Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. J. Scott Applewhite/AP, FILE "Since [the] date [the government proposed the gag order], the defendant has continued to make statements that pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case and that fall within the...

Mothers of children under 5 told ABC News that the loss of WIC nutrition assistance during a potential shutdown would be devastating for their families. Florencia Cariddi, a mother of a 10-month-old living in New York City, is one of nearly 7 million low-income women in the U.S. receiving assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children -- commonly known as WIC. "I think that if I didn't have the program, it would be really, really hard for me," Cariddi, who lives paycheck to paycheck, told ABC News as she visited the WIC Nutrition Center at Ryan Health in New York City. WIC is a discretionary grant program that is funded by Congress annually and, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, if lawmakers fail to reach a deal to avert a government shutdown this weekend, millions of pregnant and postpartum mothers and their children could lose access to necessities like formula, milk and other food products. Millions of women, ch...

Gen. Mark Milley said the military's oath is to defend the Constitution, not individuals. Outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told attendees at his retirement ceremony that the U.S. Military 's role is to defend the U.S. Constitution, not individuals -- a remark seemingly directed at former President Donald Trump. "We are unique among militaries. We do not take an oath to a country, a tribe, or a religion. We do not take an oath to a king, or a queen, to a tyrant or dictator and we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator," Milley said emphatically at a Military farewell ceremony. "We do not take an oath to an individual. No, we take an oath to the Constitution, to the idea that is America, and we're willing to die to protect it," he emphasized. Last week, Trump made a post on his social media platform accusing Milley of treason, going as far as to suggest he should be executed for treason. Like his predecessors, Milley played a central role du...

Payments will be due even if the government shuts down. The government's unprecedented three-year pause on federal student loan payment s officially ends this Sunday, Oct. 1, when roughly 28 million borrowers will once again be on the hook for their loans. The restart to payments comes after eight extensions of the pandemic-era pause, beginning during former President Donald Trump's administration. The end to the pause was finally set in stone after the Biden administration's attempt at broader debt cancellation was thwarted by the Supreme Court in June. Throughout the twists and turns, many borrowers have been left confused about the status of their loans and how policy changes could impact them. Here's what borrowers need to know. Find out how much you owe and when you owe it Not all borrowers' bills will be due on Oct. 1 -- you can find your specific payment date through your loan servicer, a private company that handles federal government loans. The bill due...

A government shutdown could set the U.S. back "months, if not years" in its ongoing air traffic controller staffing shortage, the head of the workforce's union said. A government shutdown could set the U.S. back " months , if not years " in its ongoing air traffic control ler staffing shortage , the head of the workforce's union told ABC News Thursday. Close to 1,000 trainee air traffic controllers will be off the job next week if Congress doesn't reach a deal to fund the government. They have until the end of the day Sept. 30; the government shuts down 12:01 a.m. ET on Oct. 1 if they can't strike a deal. Roughly half of the controllers that would be furloughed are currently in training at the Federal Aviation Administration's facility in Oklahoma City. A shutdown would close that school and send its students home. MORE: Government shutdown would mean fewer controllers, potential flight disruptions "A few-day shutdown will incur months...

Joe Biden will give a speech on democracy to boost his reelection bid a day after Republican presidential candidates held their second primary debate President Joe Biden on Thursday will deliver the latest in a string of speech es about democracy , as he seeks to draw a further contrast with his Republican rivals -- and, in particular, those he calls "MAGA" conservatives -- one day after most of them gathered for their second primary debate . While in Arizona, Biden will deliver what a White House official said is the fourth in a series of speeches focused on democracy, with this one specifically focused on "the importance of America’s institutions in preserving our democracy and the need for constant loyalty to the U.S. Constitution." The backdrop of Arizona is intended to draw on the legacy of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, who was close with Biden and "whose intolerance for the abuse of power and faith in America sets a powerful example to live by,...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he expects embattled Sen. Bob Menendez to address fellow Democratic senators during a closed-door lunch Thursday. Sen. Bob Menendez is expected to address his fellow Democratic senators behind closed doors Thursday with over half of them calling on him to resign. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who on Wednesday stopped short of calling for Menendez's resignation after he pleaded not guilty earlier in the day on bribery and extortion charges, said "we'll see what happens after" the closed-door lunch. Asked directly whether he believed Menendez should resign, he only reiterated that "we will see what happens" after Menendez's address to Democrats. "Like you, I'm just deeply disappointed. I was disturbed when I read the indictment . I've known Sen. Menendez a very long time and it was truly, truly upsetting," Schumer said. "But we all know that [for] senators , there is a much, m...