As airport lines swell and federal funding hangs in the balance, California Representative Robert Garcia was seen at a luxury Las Vegas resort this week. TMZ published photos on Monday showing Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, at the bar of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The hotel, a prominent fixture on the Strip, currently lists room rates at roughly $356 per night.
The sighting comes during a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), triggered after Senate Democrats filibustered a funding bill while seeking specific restrictions on immigration enforcement.
The lapse in funding has hit the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) particularly hard, leading to a wave of employee resignations and “call-outs” that have left travelers facing massive delays across the country.
According to reports, Garcia did not shy away from the camera. When a bystander began taking photos, the Congressman reportedly waved off security guards who tried to intervene. Garcia later addressed the situation on X, formerly Twitter, explaining that the visit was personal rather than a vacation from his duties.
“Actually, I don’t mind what TMZ is doing here,” Garcia posted. “Like the story says my dad has lived in Vegas for 15 years and I had just finished lunch with him. I try to see him whenever I can. And like I said a few days ago, Speaker Mike Johnson should have never sent us all home.”
The legislative gridlock remains firm in Washington. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently rejected a proposal passed by a small bipartisan group of senators that would have funded most of the DHS while excluding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
READ: Disney Bubbles And Budget Battles: TSA Officers Plead For Pay While Senator Brunches
In response to the travel disruptions, President Donald Trump took executive action on March 23, ordering ICE agents to airports to assist with the staffing shortages. Trump also used his Truth Social platform to command Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to ensure TSA agents are paid despite the ongoing budget impasse.
“I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports,” Trump stated in the post.
While the President moves to bypass the funding gap for airport personnel, the primary dispute over immigration enforcement remains unresolved, leaving both the DHS and the traveling public in a state of uncertainty.
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