Lawmakers from both parties fell asleep during an all-night hearing as Republicans successfully moved Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill to cut taxes and secure the border through its initial House committee.
The House Ways and Means Committee held a 17-hour long hearing to discuss the merits of the “big, beautiful” bill that will extend the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, secure the border, rein in wasteful spending, and more.
Although Republicans successfully advanced the bill out of committee, it did leave a toll on some lawmakers.
Videos have emerged of Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) falling asleep.
In another case, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL ) fell asleep Wednesday morning.
The need for sleep was apparently bipartisan as Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) appeared to doze off and had to be awoken by another representative after he did not respond to a question.
The Republican legislation is vast and sweeping and handles many issues ranging from energy to immigration.
Among other things, the bill would institute a five percent tax on remittances from illegal aliens to those outside the United States:
The Ways and Means Section of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill, which mainly handles taxes, would establish a five percent tax on remittance transfers; however, it would exempt remittance transfers from verified U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals. The provision would also provide a refundable tax credit for any excise taxes paid by taxpayers with valid Social Security numbers.
Then-Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) proposed a ten percent tax on remittances in 2023, and the Heritage Foundation has suggested a 50 percent tax on outbound transfers unless the sender is legal.
In 2020, migrants sent $103 billion in mostly untaxed remittances to six foreign countries, including $19 billion to China.
In January 2025, Nicaragua received $373.5 million in remittances. A World Bank report found that remittances amounted to 27 percent of Nicaragua’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024.