During a House Ways and Means Committee session that lasted through the night Utah Representative Blake Moore fell asleep briefly during the early hours of Wednesday morning while the committee worked on the budget reconciliation bill. The extended late-night meeting led Moore to rest his head on his left shoulder while his colleagues attempted to get his vote on an amendment. The proposed amendment would have enabled families to enroll in Affordable Care Act plans through annual manual income verification.
Moore regained consciousness to vote against the amendment while sharing laughter with his House colleagues who seemed to find the moment funny.
According to source, the vote occurred at 4:59 a.m. following a 14-hour markup session which pushed all participants to their limits. Online users wondered if Moore spent the late hours with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth because of the latter’s reported drinking habits that caused controversy during his confirmation process. The rumors spread after a journalist received an accidental Signal chat about military operations which led to a House review. CIA Director John Ratcliffe responded to the speculation about Hegseth by calling it “offensive.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomes Moore and all members of Utah’s congressional delegation as its members since January. Church members who maintain good standing status avoid drinking alcohol which makes party-related rumors unlikely.
The congressman dismissed the incident by calling it a brief rest to refresh himself during the extended meeting.