Capitol Hill prepares lawmakers for 'rude awakening' from TMZ coverage

Capitol Hill staffers are starting to get worried about the celebrity gossip site TMZ, Politico reported Wednesday.

The website known for dispatching paparazzi to capture celebrities out and about is ramping up its tracking of elected officials across the country during their Holy Week break. TMZ founder Harvey Levin has been on a personal crusade to get lawmakers back to Washington to fix the funding problem for the Department of Homeland Security.

The U.S. Senate held a late-night session before leaving for the break, during which it finally passed a temporary funding measure that excluded Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, which were funded significantly in the GOP budget called the "Big Beautiful Bill."

After the Senate passed the bill, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told the press he would not allow a vote on that funding bill, instead leaving for the break.

TMZ began following officials probing them on why they won't go back and vote. Democrats "caught" having lunch with their parents or heading to their planes have agreed with Levin's efforts to get lawmakers back for a vote.

One Capitol Hill staffer told Politico they are "super stoked" about TMZ's effort, but many offices might be in for a "rude awakening."

“My attitude is any new press that forces members to be sharper and for comms staffers to be more nimble is a good thing,” the staffer added.

Another staffer said there are conversations about “how to engage and prepare for your boss’s TMZ moment.”

For lawmakers who wind up on Splash Mountain at Disney World, however, it can be a bad look. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was caught flying out on Friday, first to Houston and then to Dallas. After speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he headed to Ft. Lauderdale.

"It ain't Cancun, but it's close," mocked TMZ. "Cruz was spotted at the Ft. Lauderdale airport Tuesday, days after Congress threw up its collective hands and left for Spring Break."

Daily Caller reporter Ashley Brasfield cited Cruz's team responding to the reports about the boss jet-setting around the country. "As previously reported, Senator Cruz was on his way to speak at CPAC, where he has been a confirmed speaker for weeks." Brasfield noted that the staff didn't mention the Ft. Lauderdale trip.

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