TMZ shared photographs of Congress members in Scotland amid the partial government shutdown, which has left many federal workers unpaid, including FEMA and the Coast Guard.

TSA employees went unpaid for weeks until President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to pay them.

“30 members of Congress are in Scotland on taxpayers’ dime amid the shutdown,” the outlet wrote.

TMZ identified the following Congress members in the post:

  • Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO)
  • Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)
  • Rep. John McGuire (R-VA)
  • Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY)
  • Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)
  • Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)

“We’ve ID’d another legislator in the Edinburgh Castle crowd … Michigan’s Rep. Bill Huizenga is the guy in the blue jacket sitting against the wall. His spokesman told local outlet, Michigan Advance, what we’d already heard about this being a ‘long-planned, House Ethics approved’ trip to meet with foreign dignitaries. They left out the part about YOU paying for it, while the partial government shutdown continues,” TMZ wrote.

ADVERTISEMENT

TMZ shared further:

Congress is not supposed to take taxpayer-funded trips like this during a government shutdown — or so we thought — but it sounds like they’re getting around it because this is a partial shutdown. The way we see it, a shutdown is a shutdown.

We contacted reps for the Congress members we’ve seen in Scotland … and a spokesperson for Van Orden told us, “DVO is joining more than 30 other members of Congress on a delegation that was pre-approved by the House Ethics Committee months ago. The trip focuses on economic development, foreign partnerships, and business engagement, including meetings with members of Parliament and other international officials.”

Van Orden also told us he voted 4 times to fund DHS. To that we say … it’s not one party that is at fault here, it’s BOTH, because they can’t compromise and therefore do their job.

As you know, TMZ is on the hunt — internationally — for photos and videos of members of Congress who are taking trips while thousands of federal workers go unpaid … so for anyone in Scotland or elsewhere, send us your photos!!!

“TMZ is still hunting for footage of vacationing members of Congress and it’s now gone international. About 30 lawmakers were spotted touring a castle in Scotland and guess who’s footing the bill? YOU,” the outlet wrote.

More below:

Yahoo News has more:

As the partial government shutdown sets new records with no end in sight, TMZ continues to exploit politicians’ whereabouts as Americans grow more and more frustrated.

After government agencies within the Department of Homeland Security were shut down February 14 due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans, the outlet began publishing photos of government officials gallivanting around the United States despite constant reports of airport delays dominating the headlines.

Most notably, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was photographed at Disney World over the weekend, where he reportedly vacationed from March 27 to March 29, even though he said he was “invited to a meeting in South Florida on Friday with Trump official Steve Witkoff.”

In TMZ’s latest update, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) was seen with his wife Alexis Lewis at a restaurant inside The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills on Thursday, April 2, and it looks like they may have just finished a workout. Booker is allegedly staying at the chic hotel before he is scheduled to appear April 3 in Santa Monica for a book tour.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rep. John James (R-Mich.) was photographed Wednesday, April 1, taking in the sun in Turks and Caicos, where he is allegedly on a family vacation.

The outlet also received photographs of multiple members of Congress reportedly on a trip to Scotland — that’s allegedly being funded by tax dollars — and making a stop at Edinburgh Castle.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.