Lawmakers from both parties appeared to doze off as Republicans pushed forward with Trump’s ambitious border security legislation during a House committee meeting.
The House Roads and Means Committee conducted a lengthy 17-hour session to evaluate the “big, beautiful” bill, which aims to extend tax cuts and employment laws introduced by Trump, enhance border security, and curb unnecessary spending.
Republicans managed to move the bill out of the committee despite some lawmakers being less than attentive.
A video surfaced showing Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Mi) seemingly falling asleep during the proceedings.
Additionally, Senator Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) also appeared to nod off Wednesday morning.
Sleepiness didn’t discriminate, as Representative Blake Moore (R-UT) was spotted nearly dozing off, needing a nudge from a fellow representative to re-engage after failing to respond to a question.
The proposed legislation covers a wide range of topics, including energy and immigration reform.
Notably, it includes a provision for a 5% tax on money transfers from illegal immigrants to individuals outside the U.S.
Under Trump’s “Big and Beautiful” Bill, a 5% tax is established on remittance transfers, though transfers from verified U.S. citizens are exempt. Additionally, the bill offers a refundable tax credit for any excise taxes paid by taxpayers with a valid Social Security number.
Interestingly, it was suggested by Senator JD Vance (R-OH) and Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK) that this remittance tax could be as high as 10% in 2023, with the Heritage Foundation even proposing a staggering 50% tax on outbound transfers unless the sender is a legal resident.
In 2020, immigrants sent an estimated $103 billion in untaxed remittances to six countries, with $19 billion specifically going to China.
For context, as of January 2025, Nicaragua alone received $373.5 million in remittances, accounting for 27% of the country’s GDP in 2024, according to a World Bank report.
