Rep. Seth Magaziner Defends Real Housewives Party During Government Shutdown
Rep. Seth Magaziner admits hosting a Real Housewives of Rhode Island watch party during the government shutdown looks bad. But he's blaming House Speaker Mike Johnson for sending lawmakers home instead of fixing the shutdown.
Rhode Island Congressman Seth Magaziner is defending his decision to host a Real Housewives of Rhode Island premiere party while the government remains shut down. He admits the timing looks bad but says it's not his fault.
Magaziner says he would skip the party if called back to Washington to vote on ending the shutdown. His spokesperson said he has repeatedly asked Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the House back to pass a funding bill that the Senate already approved.
The government shutdown started when Congress couldn't agree on funding. House members went on a two-week break instead of staying to negotiate. Meanwhile, thousands of federal workers aren't getting paychecks.
Some people are defending Magaziner's party plans. They say finding humor and normalcy during stressful times is healthy and helps build relationships with voters back home.
But critics say watching reality TV while government workers struggle sends the wrong message about priorities during a crisis.
Government workers aren't getting paid while Congress is on break. This shows how lawmakers handle downtime during national crises, and whether they should be working or taking time off when federal services are shut down.
Watch if House Speaker Johnson calls lawmakers back early to vote on shutdown funding.
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