As the DHS shutdown continues, thousands of workers remain unpaid, including those at the TSA, but one lawmaker chose to host a Real Housewives viewing party now. Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) has announced that he is hosting the watch party Thursday night for the premiere of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, even though the Department of Homeland Security is still shut down.
On the invite, which Magaziner shared on social media, he wrote, “Bring a friend, bring the drama.”
Bring a friend, bring the drama! pic.twitter.com/Bsb5D0OLOT
— Seth Magaziner (@SethMagaziner) March 20, 2026
Meanwhile, the party is being co-hosted by State Rep. Jackie Maginski and State Sen. Hanna Gallo, and will feature specialty cocktails and door prizes.
During the DHS shutdown, many lawmakers continue to enjoy the good life, with some spending time at Disney World, in casinos, or on overseas trips during the two-week break from Capital Hill. One lawmaker in particular was caught on camera having fun at Disney World, enjoying breakfast at the resort, and queuing for rides. TMZ shared images of Lindsey Graham having fun with a Little Mermaid bubble gun in hand.
Meanwhile, many DHS workers still remain unpaid, and many thousands of travelers spend hours in long queues at airports across the country. While ICE agents were brought in to try to handle the queues, this didn’t work, and they reportedly simply got in the way.
However, Monday saw some TSA workers receiving paychecks for the first time in six weeks, after President Donald Trump bypassed Congress and signed an executive order to get them paid. Hopefully, the airport queues will move more smoothly now. However, it is still unclear how long these funds will last.
The DHS shutdown started on February 14 and still has no end in sight. Initially, the Senate passed a funding measure that was rejected by the House. At that time, lawmakers headed out of Washington, DC to enjoy a two-week break, including Easter.
Meanwhile, as TSA agents gradually return to work, security lines are finally dwindling at the airports. Many agents had walked out and left their jobs, while others called in sick to protest their lack of pay.
Meanwhile, Trump’s latest order only covers TSA agents, and other DHS staffers have received no pay since mid-February. This includes 2,000 staffers in the top federal cybersecurity agency, more than 1,000 Coast Guard civilians, and more than 4,000 FEMA workers, all of whom are in vital and important jobs.
PRESS SEC: “This bold and necessary action by @POTUS will ensure our TSA workers receive their hard-earned paychecks. It should not have come to this point, but President Trump will always do what’s right by the American people, and he found a way to do that to get TSA paid.” pic.twitter.com/uSIBTiy0Zd
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 30, 2026
“Congress needs to come back,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “Democrats need to fund the Department of Homeland Security.”
Meanwhile, for fans of the franchise, the Real Housewives of Rhode Island will feature a “tight-knit circle of Rhode Islanders, who have deep community roots and families that go back generations.”
“With aspirational lives, thriving businesses and tangled family dynamics, these decade-long friendships prove that, in a state this small, there’s no escaping your past… or each other.”
