Sen.
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina shrugs after meeting with fellow
Republicans on the Homeland Security budget stalemate, on March 26.
Congressional Cowards is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions.
Congressional Republicans have jet-setted across the country after refusing to ensure the very Transportation Security Administration officials keeping them safe on their travels get a paycheck.
The entertainment outlet TMZ has been posting user-submitted photos of GOP lawmakers leaving town and even vacationing after failing to reach a compromise to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
The agency has been shut down for over 50 days as Republicans refuse to work with Democrats to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the wake of officers killing two U.S. citizens and brutalizing immigrants.
Thirty members of Congress—including Republican Reps. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Claudia Tenney of New York, and Jason Smith of Missouri—took a taxpayer-funded trip to Scotland. Many of them even got to visit Edinburgh Castle, a must-see with tourists.
The most embarrassing of the photos, though, were a series of shots of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who was spotted enjoying himself—perhaps a little too much—at Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida.
Graham ate a meal at Chef Mickey's (which this Disney traveler wants you to know is one of the most overpriced and gross eateries on the sprawling property). The childless Graham was also pictured holding a Little Mermaid bubble wand and waiting to ride Space Mountain, the iconic indoor roller coaster.
After the humiliating images surfaced, Graham gave this lame statement to TMZ: "I voted 7 times to fully fund the government. Call a Democrat.”
Of course, Democrats do not control either chamber of Congress, thus Republicans have the responsibility to put forth legislation that can actually pass.
Even some mainstream media outlets, which often couch their words to avoid losing access to GOP sources, are now placing the shutdown blame at the feet of Republicans in Congress.
Meanwhile, Democrats have offered their own funding measures to make sure TSA agents and other non-immigration-enforcement DHS functions are funded, but they were blocked by Republicans.
But I digress, back to the cowards fleeing D.C. while DHS is still shut down.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, infamous for hitching a flight outta dodge when faced with challenging circumstances, was spotted flying to sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which seems to be a popular location for Republicans on this ill-advised two-week break amid a partial government shutdown.
Other Republicans TMZ caught fleeing Washington, D.C., include Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and John Barrasso of Wyoming, the latter of whom was confronted by angry travelers, per TMZ.
Ultimately, Republicans abdicated their responsibility and left town without a funding deal. It’s no wonder the Congress they control has an abysmally low 11% approval rating, according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll.
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