Democrat Rep Robert Garcia Bellies Up To Las Vegas Bar While Thousands Of TSA Agents Go Unpaid

California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia was photographed in Las Vegas enjoying drinks at an upscale casino during the government shutdown, TMZ reported Monday.

Senate Democrats obstructed funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding restrictions on immigration enforcement operations, resulting in a partial stop department, with hundreds of Transportation Security Agency (TSA) employees either walking off the job or resigning, causing long queues at airports across the country. Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, was photographed getting down on his stomach at the bar at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a hotel on the famous Las Vegas Strip whose rooms cost $356 a night, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham plays with toys at Disney World as he pushes for ground troops in Iran)

Garcia apparently did not object to the photo being taken at the casino, waving at approaching security guards after being confronted by a person who took the photos posted by the gossip site, TMZ reported. In an article on X, Garcia attempted to criticize House Speaker Mike Johnson for being at the hotel, where he claimed to have lunch with his father.

Robert Garcia visits a Las Vegas casino after Congress fails to reopen the government. 🎰 https://t.co/ZJqWZJpepO pic.twitter.com/AOulZoshgr

-TMZ (@TMZ) March 30, 2026

“I actually don’t mind what TMZ is doing here. As the story goes, my dad has lived in Vegas for 15 years and I had just finished having lunch with him,” Garcia posted. “I try to see him whenever I can. And like I said a few days ago, President Mike Johnson should never have sent us all home.”

Johnson rejected a bill passed by five senators early Friday morning that funded all of DHS except for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

President Donald Trump ordered ICE agents to airports on March 23 to assist the TSA during the partial DHS shutdown to deal with long lines at airports resulting from TSA agents quitting or calling out. Trump also ordered Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen to pay TSA agents in an article published Thursday on Truth Social.

“I will sign an order directing Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay our TSA agents to deal with this emergency and quickly end the Democratic chaos at the airports,” Trump said.

Garcia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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