Several members of Congress, including Michigan's Rep. Debbie Dingell, were seen catching some z's during marathon budget sessions that stretched into the early hours. As lawmakers debated President Trump's sweeping legislative bill, dubbed the "big, beautiful bill," which proposes hefty tax breaks and significant cuts to Medicaid, sleep became a casualty in the halls of power. Videos and images of the dozing officials quickly sparked commentary and criticism across social media platforms, as pwe WZZM 13.
A seven-second clip showed Rep. Dingell leaning back with her eyes closed, causing an uproar on social media and leading her to defend herself. "Been up for 31 hours straight fighting Republicans trying to gut Medicaid," she told FOX 2 Detroit, emphasizing her commitment to protecting healthcare access. Similarly accused of snoozing, Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) had to be nudged awake by a colleague during a vote, as described in a report from WZZM 13.
The Ways and Means Committee witnessed Moore's sleepy interlude before advancing the tax component of the bill in question. This was just one of several incidences during the taxing deliberations. Watching these policy-makers visibly exhausted raises questions about the efficacy of governance under such conditions. Also captured with eyes closed was Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), who later justified the moment on social media, claiming it was a part of "hour 25 of our marathon markup," according to People.
With Republican leadership eager to finalize the legislation by July 4, more extensive sessions may loom on the congressional horizon. During these challenging moments in governance, Sen. Ted Cruz previously caught flak for seemingly nodding off during a presidential address in 2021, retorting that Biden's speech was both "boring" and "radical." "I challenge you to remember a single line from the speech," Cruz had claimed during an interview, detailed by People's report.
