SEE IT: Lawmakers caught on vacation amid record-breaking shutdown while DHS workers go unpaid
While tens of thousands of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are struggling to make ends meet, some members of Congress appear to be going about their business as usual...
By Fox News · Fox News
While tens of thousands of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are struggling to make ends meet, some members of Congress appear to be going about their business as usual during the record-breaking government shutdown. Instead of staying in Washington to resolve the funding stalemate, both chambers commenced a two-week Easter recess over the weekend, a move that is expected to prolong the record-breaking 46-day shutdown until mid-April. In the meantime, some lawmakers have been spotted on vacation, posing for selfies on congressionally-sponsored trips and socializing in ritzy casino bars. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sparked controversy after being spotted by TMZ at Disney World over the weekend. CORNYN TARGETS LAWMAKERS’ AIRPORT FAST PASS AS TSA LINES GROW DURING DHS SHUTDOWN The South Carolina lawmaker was captured holding a "Little Mermaid"-themed bubble wand retailing for $40. Eyewitnesses told TMZ that Graham was holding the toy for a child while she went to the bathroom. The influential Republican senator was also seen waiting in line with a family to ride Space Mountain and dining at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Graham blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown in a statement to TMZ, adding that he had repeatedly voted for DHS spending bills filibustered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I was invited to a meeting in South Florida on Friday with Trump official Steve Witkoff and others to talk about the possibility of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel," Graham told the outlet. "I went to Orlando to meet friends after. I’m already back in South Carolina." "I voted 7 times to fully fund the government. Call a Democrat," he added. TMZ’s reporting came after the outlet asked for Americans to send tips about lawmakers on vacation or engaging in leisure during the planned recess period. The pictures have sparked outrage, partly because lawmakers — who earn a base salary of $174,000 per year — are still receiving their paycheck…