Monday night, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and 15 to 20 House Republicans met in the basement of Tortilla Coast, Roll Call reports, to discuss the government shutdown and the debt ceiling. While we can’t say whether there was a consensus on queso or guac, it’s clear that there’s a long been a Republican affinity toward Tex-Mex restaurants in Washington. Maybe it’s because the homeland of oversized burritos and fajitas is a red state? Who knows, but here are four more reasons why GOP-Mex should officially be a thing.

1. One-time vice presidential nominee and Republican Congressman Paul Ryan was a server at the Capitol Hill location of Tortilla Coast in the early 1990s.

2. George W. Bush was famously a Tex-Mex fanatic. The few times he ventured for a meal outside the White House, he landed at places like Cactus Cantina and El Paso Cafe in Arlington.

3. Republican House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy made headlines after it came to light that his office spent $2,500 at Qdoba in one day during the last quarter of 2012.

4. House Speaker John Boehner seems to be a fan of Guapo’s, where he’s been spotted multiple times over the years. In the midst of a budget fight in the spring of 2011, Boehner was seen at the Shirlington location. He was also there last December, several hours after meeting with the President and other congressional leaders at the White House to discuss the looming fiscal cliff. Maybe they should rename the restaurant GOPo’s?

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