Ted Cruz Spotted On Vacation Amid Government Shutdown That Has Left Fliers Stranded

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is the latest MAGA lawmaker seen astatine a Spring Break hotspot aft members of Congress were sent connected recess amid nan ongoing authorities shutdown, which has near passengers stranded and national workers without pay.

Cruz was pictured by TMZ waiting to committee a formation Tuesday astatine Fort Lauderdale airdrome successful South Florida, accompanied by constabulary and information guards.

The outlet has been publishing photos of lawmakers connected picnic arsenic galore national workers impacted by the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continue to spell without pay, and passengers missed flights aft waiting successful lines of up to 5 hours to walk done information astatine immoderate airports.

It was not instantly clear what Cruz was doing successful Fort Lauderdale aliases wherever he was going. TMZ reports that he traveled location aft attending nan CPAC normal successful Dallas last week.

While Cruz is not nan only personnel of Congress who has been seen relaxing successful caller days amid nan shutdown turmoil, it’s not nan first juncture that nan timing of his vacationing has been called into question.

He earned nan nickname “Cancun Cruz” from a ungraded successful 2021 aft he went to nan Mexican vacation destination during a harsh wintertime storm, which near thousands of Texans without power aliases water.

He later apologized and admitted it was “obviously a mistake.” And past July, Cruz was successful Greece erstwhile deadly floods struck his location state, though his squad said he promptly sewage connected a formation location arsenic soon arsenic he heard.

The Independent has contacted Cruz’s agency for comment.

Elsewhere, Sen. Lindsey Graham was besides pictured stepping astir Disney World pinch a bubble wand toy, eating astatine Chef Mickey’s and standing successful statement for Space Mountain.

The South Carolina legislator defended his travel to Disney World, telling TMZ he met immoderate friends astatine nan taxable parkland aft “meeting successful South Florida connected Friday pinch Trump charismatic Steve Witkoff and others to talk astir nan anticipation of normalization betwixt Saudi Arabia and Israel.”

“I voted 7 times to afloat money nan government. Call a Democrat,” Graham told nan news outlet, saying he had returned to his location authorities by Sunday.

Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California was besides criticized for making a travel to Las Vegas, wherever TMZ obtained photos of him sitting successful a casino. Garcia later said he was visiting his father.

Lawmakers aren’t owed to return to Washington, D.C. until April 14.

The Homeland Security shutdown has go nan longest successful U.S. history, pinch soul Republican divisions and a two-week legislature recess leaving nary clear way to a resolution.

While nan remainder of nan national authorities remains open, astir 100,000 labor pinch nan section now look nan imaginable of going without salary until nan summer.