3 Members of Congress Caught Sleeping During Marathon Budget Sessions
Three members of Congress were caught falling asleep during lengthy overnight sessions
Reps. Blake Moore, Debbie Dingell and Jan Schakowsky all seemed to doze off in committee deliberations that spanned Tuesday night into Wednesday morning
Moore's Ways and Means Committee and Dingell and Schakowsky's Energy and Commerce Committee are all deliberating portions of President Trump's 'big beautiful bill'At least three members of Congress were caught nodding off during all-night committee deliberations over President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful' legislative agenda.
Rep. Blake Moore of Utah and the vice chair of the House Republican Conference was seen slumped over in his chair during a House Ways and Means Committee markup in the early hours of Wednesday, May 14, as seen in video shared by FOX 13 News and on social media.
When a vote finally happened just before 5 a.m. — following 17 hours of deliberation — Moore, 44, had to be nudged awake by his neighbor, Rep. Michelle Fischbach. The committee shared a laugh at the congressman's sheepish realization, and the vote continued.
The committee ultimately advanced their tax component of the sweeping bill out of Ways and Means about three hours later. Next, it will go to the House Budget Committee to be packaged and eventually delivered to Trump, 78.Over in the Energy and Commerce Committee, two more representatives were also caught getting some shuteye during a lengthy session that spanned Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who recently announced that she's in her final term as a representative of Illinois' 9th district, was seen nodding off as her committee deliberated over spending cuts.
"We're on hour 25 of our marathon markup where my colleagues and I are fighting all day and night to protect health care access for all Americans," she later posted on X.
Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell also fired back at online critics who criticized images of her leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed during the marathon Energy and Commerce session. 'Been up for 31 hours straight fighting Republicans trying to gut Medicaid,' she posted on X.
Dingell, 71, added, 'Closed my eyes to think about an America where everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.'
Republican leadership has said that they hope to have the finalized version of the 'big beautiful bill' on the president's desk by July 4, so more marathon sessions may be in store for Congress in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, the three representatives under fire can take some advice from Sen. Ted Cruz, who was criticized for seeming to doze off during President Joe Biden's address to Congress in April 2021.
Cruz deflected at the time by claiming that Biden's speech was both 'boring' and 'radical.' He accused the president of intentionally speaking in a 'dulcet' monotone. During his lively interview on Fox News after the address ended, the senator added, "I challenge you to remember a single line from the speech.'
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