They say life guarantees only death and taxes, but after spotting Sen. Lindsey Graham, R–South Carolina, strolling through Disney World, it feels fair to add a third: No matter the moment, congressional Republicans will find a way to fumble their majority, sometimes by heading straight for the Magic Kingdom.

It's a brutal reality, I know. I'm a Republican.

I voted for President Donald Trump and believed that if there were a Republican-led majority in Congress and a Republican president, we'd finally get to, well, making America great again. Republicans in Congress would work to lower taxes, fix health care, deregulate businesses and ensure election integrity by passing the SAVE Act, among other vital tasks. These are policies Americans support.

Yet on March 30, I saw the news that amid a partial government shutdown, Transportation Security Administration agents only just receiving back pay, the price of regular gasoline averaging $4 a gallon and an escalating U.S conflict with Iran, Congress has recessed for a two-week spring break while Graham rode Space Mountain in Orlando, Florida.

While there's issues to resolve, Congress should be governing, not on a break.

For Sen. Lindsey Graham, it's apparently Disney or bust

I'm not one to begrudge anyone a much-needed vacation or even spending time at Disney World (although I am a mom of four and I've never taken my kids there). But there's a lot of work our lawmakers need to do right now, and going on vacation instead of resolving looming issues seems like a poor choice and reeks of privilege.

Conservatives aren't happy about this. Even Meghan McCain blasted Gram on social media, and that's saying something. Her late father, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Graham were close friends before McCain died of cancer in 2018.

"South Carolina is a very proper, cultured, extremely influential and important state in American politics ‒ they can do so much better than Lindsey Graham holding a bubble wand at Disney World to represent their state,” McCain posted on X.

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh excoriated Graham, too: “While our country is at war, our airports are a mess, DHS is not funded, and our elections are not secure, Lindsey Graham is wandering around Disney World with a bubble wand. This is an image that should live in infamy.”

Graham told TMZ in a statement that he was invited to South Florida to meet with Trump official Steve Witkoff to discuss relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, that he went to Orlando to meet friends and had already returned to his home state.

Be that as it may, the timing is awful. Governing should come first; running the federal government is part of Congress’ job.

Even Trump has urged Congress to return early from Disney −I mean spring break recess − to fund the Department of Homeland Security, one of the government entities shut down during this most recent temper tantrum that left TSA workers without pay for more than a month.

Americans can't stand Congress

Congressional Democrats may share responsibility for the shutdown stalemate, but Republicans control the majority. Choosing to defer to the minority party and leave for vacation while the nation lingers in a month-long Iran conflict and the government remains partially shut down is tone-deaf. It’s the kind of conduct that makes Americans resent their elected leaders.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 80% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing. Just 16% approve.

These negative sentiments apply to both Republicans and Democrats, too. Next to disliking the war in Iran, it seems to be the thing Americans agree on. Who would have thought that bipartisanship would come from being frustrated with the very people we elected to represent us?

I get it, though. Data shows that most Americans care most about their own lives, especially economic security and affordability. In January, inflation went down to nearly a five-year low, but even good news can be drowned out by war and a partial government shutdown.

Everyone needs a break, certainly our lawmakers. But they need to prioritize what Americans have asked for and finish their duties before taking time off. (It's what most Americans have to do before going to brunch at Chef Mickey's.) If members of Congress in either party are unable or unwilling to execute their duties, Americans should not reelect them.

But I do have a question for Sen. Graham: Next time you go, could you figure out why it costs so much to go to Disney World now? Or is that one task too many?

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.

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