Shutdown Schmutdown

Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democratic congressman from Rhode Island, was caught sneaking into a premiere party for ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ on Thursday night, because who needs to work on a government shutdown when there are reality TV stars to mingle with?

The Party

Magaziner co-hosted the event with fellow Democrat state lawmakers Rep. Jackie Baginski and Sen. Hanna Gallo, and was spotted rubbing elbows with the cast, posing for photos, and generally having a blast. This all went down while the federal government’s partial shutdown is approaching 50 days, and Americans are still feeling the pain.

The Shutdown

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is one of the hardest-hit agencies, with employees receiving their first paychecks in over a month just on Thursday. Meanwhile, lawmakers like Magaziner are living it up with reality TV stars. The White House is calling on Congress to return from recess and finish the funding process, but it seems some lawmakers are too busy having fun to care.

Not Alone

Magaziner isn’t the only one who’s been caught slacking off – Sen. Lindsey Graham was spotted at Disney World, and Rep. Robert Garcia was seen at a casino bar in Las Vegas. It’s a tough life, but someone’s gotta do it.

Response

Magaziner’s office defended his actions, saying he’s holding events and meetings in his district, but it’s hard to take that seriously when he’s partying with reality TV stars on the side.