U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner is set to host a viewing party this Thursday evening for the premiere of the new reality show, “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.” The event is scheduled while hundreds of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees remain without paychecks, and thousands of Americans continue to face significant airport delays.

Political Gathering Coincides with Federal Worker Hardship

The watch party is being co-hosted by state Representative Jackie Baginski and state Senator Hanna Gallo. Attendees can expect specialty cocktails and door prizes during the gathering. This event takes place while lawmakers are on a two-week recess from Capitol Hill.

The DHS funding lapse began on February 14th and currently has no resolution in sight. A funding measure passed by the Senate was subsequently rejected by the House of Representatives.

Impact of the DHS Shutdown on Federal Workers

TSA agents started receiving paychecks on Monday after President Trump signed an executive order to compensate them. This action bypassed Congress and covered agents who had been without pay for six weeks.

However, many other DHS personnel have not received compensation since mid-February. This includes over 4,000 workers at FEMA and more than 1,000 civilian employees of the Coast Guard.

Furthermore, 2,000 employees at the nation's top federal cybersecurity agency are also affected by the payment stoppage. Many TSA agents had previously called in sick to protest the lack of remuneration.

Calls for Congressional Action

Security lines at airports started to ease only after TSA agents returned to their posts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation on Monday.

Leavitt stated to reporters, “Congress needs to come back,” adding, “Democrats need to fund the Department of Homeland Security.” Lawmakers left Washington, D.C., for their scheduled break, which is timed around Easter and Passover.