The Dems and Republicans are unwilling to play ball with each other, but Congressman Buddy Carter‘s grandson … well, he does it well, and gramps was there to watch!

Carter’s rep tells us the Representative from Georgia flew to Charlottesville, VA, to watch his 10-year-old grandson win the season opener Saturday by trouncing the opposing team 13- 5.

The photo was taken after the game at Virginia’s Charlottesville-Albermarle Airport, where Carter was sitting alone, making phone calls while he waited for his flight to North Carolina, where he then jumped on another plane to Atlanta.

We got a pic of Carter on the plane … a passenger recognized the Congressman and asked if he was going on vacation during the recess, but he didn’t answer.

Congress is on a 2-week Spring recess after failing to pass a bill that would end the shutdown, resulting in thousands of federal workers going without pay for more than a month. Rent and car payments are due April 1st, and they are struggling.

Carter called the shutdown “inexcusable,” and his rep says he’s donating his pay during the shutdown to help federal employees.

Fact is … his job, and the job of his 534 colleagues, is to keep the government open, and they have failed. That’s why TMZ is asking everyone to send us pics of members of Congress who are vacationing during the recess. If you’re on a cruise, Disney World, a beach in Hawaii — ANYWHERE — send us pics and we will post them on our website, social media, and our TV shows.