WATCH: Congressman falls asleep during vote, US Capitol bursts into laughter

A sleepy moment in the US Capitol turned into a hilarity early Wednesday when Representative Blake Moore, a Utah Republican, was caught dozing off during a key vote on a sweeping tax bill under debate by the House Ways and Means Committee.

The 18-hour markup session, which extended into the early hours, centred on a Republican-led reconciliation bill that would cement former President Donald Trump’s proposed tax cuts.

Among the items debated was an amendment by Democratic Representative Judy Chu of California, aiming to preserve automatic Affordable Care Act enrolment for gig workers.

As lawmakers prepared to vote on Chu’s amendment at 4:57 a.m. ET, Moore appeared to be taking what he later described as a “quick power nap.”

He was nudged awake by Representative Michelle Fischbach, a Minnesota Republican, prompting audible laughter in the room — Moore included — before he voted against the amendment.

The proposal, which Democrats argued would prevent additional red tape for low-income and freelance workers, failed 19–25 along party lines.

Howard Mortman, C-SPAN’s communications director, posted the moment on X (formerly Twitter), where the clip had been viewed over 80,000 times by 10 a.m.

In a statement to Newsweek, Moore said, “I may have needed a quick power nap, but Ways and Means Republicans powered through an 18-hour markup to deliver a tax bill that better serves American families, workers, and businesses.”

Moore, who represents Utah’s 1st Congressional District, has held the seat since 2020 and comfortably won re-election in 2024 by over 30 percentage points.

The reconciliation package is expected to head to the House floor for a vote in the coming days.

Speaker Mike Johnson aims to have it passed before Memorial Day, leaving just over a week to push the legislation through a closely divided chamber.