TMZ DC

TMZ's call for pics of Congress members on spring break is nonpartisan, and even though Rep. Rich McCormick does think one party's more responsible for the shutdown ... he's also seen enough in DC to get why voters are fed up.

The U.S. Congressman from Georgia joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and he went back and forth with Harvey Levin on what compromises both sides of the aisle should be willing to make to strike a deal to end the current shutdown.

Rich eventually concedes ... but says even if he runs our suggestions up the flagpole, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will instantly reject them.

It ain't Cancun, but it's close ... Ted Cruz was spotted at the Ft. Lauderdale airport Tuesday, days after Congress threw up its collective hands and left for Spring Break.

The Senator from Texas has been hopscotching around the country since leaving D.C., first to Houston, then to Dallas where he went to the CPAC convention, then he found his way to South Florida.

Check out the security with Ted ... 4 cops and some dude with a lapel pin ... all covering him.

Lindsey Graham's gone shooting, y'all, arming himself with a shotgun days after he was packing a bubble wand in the Magic Kingdom ... but, all while the government shutdown still drags on.

The U.S. Senator from South Carolina posted a photo Monday evening of himself taking aim with a shotgun, and wrote ... "Spent some time breaking clays ... Doesn't get much better than that."

Kinda hard to ignore LG's huge pivot from theme parks to the shooting range. We broke the story ... Graham was seen over the weekend riding attractions and strolling through Disney World like any other vacationer. And yes, he was spotted holding one of those pink bubble wands for a friend's child.

U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner's leaving political drama behind during his 2-week vacay, and he's replacing it with some good old-fashioned reality TV drama ... partial government shutdown be damned!

The Congressman from Rhode Island announced last week he'll cohost a watch party for "The Real Housewives of Rhode Island" -- the newest edition of the long-running Bravo franchise -- when the show premieres April 2.

Rhode Island State Rep. Jackie Baginski and State Sen. Hanna Gallo are cohosting the evening, which will feature hors d'oeuvres, specialty cocktails and door prizes.

Funnyman Tony Rock isn't having it when it comes to politicians taking lavish trips while TSA workers struggle to pay the rent amid the partial government shutdown ... and he's calling out one congressman in particular -- Senator Lindsey Graham.

As we reported ... Graham told TMZ he was at a meeting Friday with Trump officials in South Florida, and he went to Orlando afterwards to meet up with some friends, but it looks like he turned it into a weekend stay at The Most Magical Place on Earth, despite failing to work with his cohorts on Capitol Hill to keep the government open for the good of the country.

When we caught up with Tony at LAX today, he joked, "Yeah, [Lindsey] was meeting with, like, an Iranian official at Disneyland. There should be more meetings at Disneyland. It's one of the happiest places in the world, right?"

Lindsey Graham looks like a full-blown Disney adult on Spring Break ... because he spent 3 days at the Mouse House over the weekend after failing to talk his colleagues into keeping the government open.

We got a new photo from an American patriot answering TMZ's call to take photos and videos of members of Congress on vacay -- while thousands of federal workers go unpaid as rent comes due -- and it shows Lindsey on Saturday night, getting ready to ride Space Mountain at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

It's a sad state of affairs when the line Lindsey waited in for Space Mountain is shorter than the line to go through TSA at airports across the country.

Gavin Newsom has entered the chat! The governor's press office just shared our story about Lindsey Graham's Disney World getaway ... adding a zesty jab at the senator.

As we reported ... Lindsey is one of several congresspeople we've caught taking lavish trips during the partial government shutdown while TSA workers struggle to support their families.

Graham told TMZ he was at a meeting Friday with Trump officials in South Florida, and he went to Orlando afterwards to meet up with some friends, but it looks like he turned it into a weekend stay at The Most Magical Place on Earth, despite failing to work with his cohorts on Capitol Hill to keep the government open for the good of the country.

11:50 AM PT -- Lindsey Graham looks like a full-blown Disney adult on Spring Break because we just got a new photo of him on Space Mountain at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

Lindsey Graham said he was doing business in Florida, and just made a short pit stop at Disney World, but based on this new photo ... he was a full-blown tourist.

Someone who answered TMZ's call to shoot photos and videos of members of Congress on vacay -- while thousands of federal workers go unpaid -- shot this pic ... showing Lindsey strolling in the "Tangled" area of Magic Kingdom on Friday night, carrying a bubble wand.

The area is like a fantasyland, which is on the nose -- Congress is living in one, with each side blaming the other for its failure to reach a compromise that would reopen the government ... believing voters are buying what they're selling.

California Congressman Robert Garcia was hangin' at a Vegas casino Sunday, while thousands of federal workers are goin' belly up.

Garcia saddled up to a bar with a friend, enjoying drinks at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Someone who heard our call to action -- shoot photos and videos of members of Congress on their Spring Break after failing to pass a bill that would end the shutdown -- shot the photos.

Lindsey Graham was ineffective talking his colleagues into keeping the government open, but he had a great convo with Mickey Mouse Sunday ... at Disney World!!!

The Senator had breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort at Disney World. You get more than a meal there ... Disney characters go around to all the tables for a little chit chat.

We're told Lindsey talked to the staff, who tucked him away in a back table. He went to the buffet line -- much shorter than the TSA lines around the country -- grabbed some grub, and chowed down.

The Dems and Republicans are unwilling to play ball with each other, but Congressman Buddy Carter's grandson ... well, he does it well, and gramps was there to watch!

Carter's rep tells us the Representative from Georgia flew to Charlottesville, VA, to watch his 10-year-old grandson win the season opener Saturday by trouncing the opposing team 13- 5.

The photo was taken after the game at Virginia's Charlottesville-Albermarle Airport, where Carter was sitting alone, making phone calls while he waited for his flight to North Carolina, where he then jumped on another plane to Atlanta.

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso is just the latest pol we've caught getting the hell out of Washington D.C. amid the federal government shutdown.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, showing the Republican legislator waiting for his flight at Denver Airport in Colorado Friday night -- and dude looks pretty chill.

We're told Barrasso was with at least one other person, possibly a staffer, standing at the United Airlines gate as he prepared to board a flight to Casper, WY. We're told some people were walking up and greeting the Senator with handshakes, while also engaging in some small talk ... but not all conversations he had were light.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar was caught wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase, "You are doing a good job," amid the federal government shutdown, but she wasn't talking about herself.

Instead ... Klobuchar wore the shirt for a bunch of students while attending a high school event held at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN on Friday morning.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ ... the democratic Senator is standing on stage giving a speech during a robotics competition as the now-43-day partial government shutdown, which targets the Department of Homeland Security, wages on in Washington, D.C.

Bernie Sanders is straight outta D.C. ... joining the Congressional parade into their 2-week vacay, despite the fact your elected officials did NOT pass a bill to end the partial government shutdown.

The U.S. Senator from Vermont left in style too, flying first class out of Reagan National Friday at 2:42 PM ET ... which is significant, because that was just minutes after House Speaker Mike Johnson shot down the bill Sanders and the rest of the Senate passed at 2 AM Friday to pay TSA officers.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote late Friday on a new bill, but even if it passes ... just about everyone in the Senate's skipped town, so they won't be able to vote on the new legislation.

Senator Ted Cruz is on a plane right now after jetting out of Washington D.C., hours after the Senate voted to end the shutdown -- but he may need a return ticket after the bill to end the shutdown is about to get 86'd by the House.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune also booked it out of D.C., hopping a plane Friday AM at Reagan National Airport ... with the assistance of an escort, of course. It looks like the House is not on board with the Senate's version of how to reopen the government.

We're not gonna dwell on the reasons the proposed solution is falling apart -- check the NYT for that -- but we are gonna dwell on the fact these members of Congress are leaving their jobs for a 2-week recess, as thousands of federal workers go without pay for a 4th week.

Senator Marsha Blackburn tried hiding in plain view as she slithered out of Washington D.C. ... hours BEFORE her colleagues voted on a bill that would provide thousands of federal workers with what they need to survive -- A PAYCHECK.

The Tennessee Senator used an escort to shield herself from the camera as she made her way to the security checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Blackburn, who's running for Governor of Tennessee, got out of Dodge at 6 PM ... 8 hours before the Senate voted to restore funding to TSA, FEMA, certain Coast Guard members and other federal workers who have gone without pay for a month.