Video of Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Some airports refuse to play it because it is too political

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Airports large and small across the country are refusing to play a video of a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its effects on Transportation Security Administration operations.

Airports in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Seattle and others say the political content of the video conflicts with their policies or regulations prohibiting political messages at their facilities.

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Various government agencies, in emails to workers and on websites, have adopted language blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Some experts say this could constitute a violation of the Hatch Act of 1939, which restricts certain political activities of federal employees.

The closure disrupted routine operations at some airports, leading to flight delays. Democrats say any deal to reopen the government must meet their health care demands, and Republicans say they won’t negotiate until they agree to fund the government. Some Medicare premiums will double if Congress fails to renew subsidy payments that expire on December 31.

In the video, Noem says TSA’s “top priority” is to help make travel fun and efficient while keeping passengers safe.

Read more: How your travel plans may be affected by the extended government shutdown

“However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations have been impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” she added.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is located within the Department of Homeland Security. Nearly 61,000 of the agency’s 64,130 employees are required to continue working during the closure.

A DHS spokesperson responded to a request for comment by paraphrasing some of the messages from Noem’s video.

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“It is unfortunate that our workforce was put in this position because of political gamesmanship,” spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said. “We hope Democrats will soon realize the importance of opening the government.”

The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that the video had been posted at airports across the country.

In Columbus, Ohio, the video was not broadcast at John Glenn International Airport as of Tuesday. Spokesman Bryn Almos said the matter was under legal review but did not provide a timeline.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, said it would not broadcast the videos, citing rules against “politically partisan messages.”

Near the border with Canada, travelers will not be able to watch the video at Buffalo Niagara International Airport or Niagara Falls International Airport. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said its “longstanding” policy and regulations prohibit “partisan messaging” at its facilities.

The Chicago Department of Aviation said ads and public service announcements must follow guidelines that “prohibit content that supports or opposes any specific political party.” In Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport said it has a policy that does not allow political messages to be displayed at its facility. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas said it must “remain aware of the limitations imposed by the Hatch Act.”

“Under airport regulations, the terminals and surrounding areas are not designated public forums, and the airport’s intention is to avoid using the facility for political or religious advocacy,” the airport statement said.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the county north of New York City will not turn on the video at its local airport. In a statement, he called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values ​​we expect of our nation’s senior public officials,” and said its tone was “unnecessarily inflammatory” regarding operations at the Westchester County Airport.

“At a time when we should be focusing on ensuring stability, cooperation and preparedness, this kind of messaging only serves to distract attention from the real issues and undermine public confidence,” he said.

Even in red states, airports were not showing the video for various reasons. Salt Lake City International Airport was not playing because state law prohibits the use of city-owned property for political purposes, airport spokeswoman Nancy Vollmer said.

The airport in Billings, Montana, “politely declined” even though it has screens that can display video with audio, Paul Khera, assistant director of aviation, said Tuesday.

“We do not want to get into the middle of partisan politics,” Khaira said. “We like to stay in the middle, and we didn’t want to play that video.”

Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press writers Meade Grover in Fort Collins, Colorado; Julie Carr Smith in Columbus, Ohio; Claire Rush in Portland contributed to this report.