(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Republicans said that Rep. Andrew Garbarino missed the final vote on President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” bill because he had nodded off. But former Rep. George Santos claims there was more to the story.
Santos, the convicted New York Republican, claimed that Garbarino “was not simply sleeping, he was passed out drunk.”
Santos’s claim follows House Speaker Mike Johnson’s admission that Garbarino “fell asleep in the back, no kidding.”
“I’m going to just strangle him,” Johnson quipped.
In a follow-up post on X, Johnson called Garbarino “highly regarded” and a “dear friend”—affirming that the bill passed congress thanks to his “unique contributions and tireless efforts.”
In addition to our committee chairs who worked overtime to deliver the One Big Beautiful Bill, we also want to thank @RepGarbarino. My great friend Andrew played an essential role in negotiations among Members, and is a primary reason we were able to secure the deals which…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 22, 2025
The bill ultimately passed by a 215-214 vote on Thursday morning.
As reported by the New York Post, Garbarino’s lapse drew fire from New York party leaders, with a source saying that Garbarino is not loyal to Trump.
“He’s losing his juice as the most senior congressman,” the source said. “I’m getting calls from party leaders that this guy is disloyal to Trump. He was known in the past to be very independent from the party.”
Trump advisor Roger Stone agreed, affirming that a “Republican primary challenge is in order.”
Stone added: “If Garbarino can’t be bothered to support the president, on what is perhaps the single most significant tax reduction legislation to pass the House since the 1980s, then the President’s supporters can’t be bothered to support Garbarino.”
New York Conservative Party chair Gerard Kassa called the missed vote a “very real concern” and a “great disappointment.”
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., also jumped on the criticism via X, joking, “One Big Beautiful Snooze… After all that posturing on SALT, Garbarino couldn’t even manage to wake himself up to vote for the bill!”
Republican Congressman Andrew Garbarino didn’t vote today on the One Big Beautiful Bill because he was too busy sleeping.
No, seriously.
The Suffolk County Republican Party paved the way for Garbarino to win the Republican primary in his district because his dad is the Islip… pic.twitter.com/mFzabCNKsA
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) May 22, 2025
Despite the backlash, Garbarino brushed off the criticism in a statement, insisting he had simply stepped out.
“I was moments away from the House floor, to vote ‘yes,’ when the vote was closed,” he said, as quoted by the Post. “While I am frustrated that the vote was closed before I was able to cast my vote, I am proud of the work we accomplished to deliver huge results for Long Island.”
