A number of airports throughout the nation are denying a request from the Division of Homeland Safety to play a video that blames Democrats for the continuing authorities shutdown.
The shutdown started on Oct. 1 with Democrats and Republicans in a stalemate over find out how to reopen the federal government. Democrats have demanded an extension of expiring medical health insurance tax credit, however Republican leaders have refused to barter, saying they need the federal government to reopen first.
Transportation Safety Administration officers and air visitors controllers are important federal employees, requiring them to work throughout a shutdown with out speedy pay. However, an uptick of employees calling out sick has led to staffing shortages, leading to some flight delays and cancellations.
Within the DHS video, Secretary Kristi Noem tells vacationers, “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal authorities and due to this, lots of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA staff are working with out pay.
“We’ll proceed to do all that we are able to to keep away from delays that may influence your journey and our hope is that Democrats will quickly acknowledge the significance of opening the federal government.”
The video started airing at airports on Thursday, a DHS spokesperson stated. However a number of airports say they aren’t taking part in it as a result of the partisan message goes in opposition to their insurance policies, in addition to state or federal rules.
“We didn’t consent to taking part in the video in its present type, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public belongings for political functions and messaging,” Molly Prescott, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which oversees Portland Worldwide Airport, informed CBS Information. “Moreover, Oregon legislation states no public worker can promote or oppose any political committee, get together, or affiliation. We consider consenting to taking part in this video on Port belongings would violate Oregon legislation.”
The Hatch Act, which was handed in 1939, goals partially to make sure federal applications are nonpartisan.
Equally, a Port of Seattle spokesperson stated the Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport won’t play the video “as a result of political nature of the content material.”
“We proceed to induce bipartisan efforts to finish the federal government shutdown and are working to search out methods to assist federal staff working with out pay at SEA in the course of the shutdown,” the spokesperson stated.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey additionally stated the video isn’t taking part in at its airports, together with John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport.
“The Port Authority’s longstanding insurance policies stop airing of politically partisan messages at our amenities, so airports should not airing the video on airport-controlled screens,” spokesperson Cheryl Albiez stated.
Different airports that aren’t taking part in the video embody Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, San Jose Mineta Worldwide Airport, San Francisco Worldwide Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport in Arizona, Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport in North Carolina, Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, Buffalo Niagara Worldwide Airport and Westchester County Airport in New York, and O’Hare Worldwide Airport and Halfway Worldwide Airport in Chicago. Massachusetts Port Authority, which manages Boston’s airports, stated the video isn’t being performed and there aren’t any video screens at its TSA checkpoints.
In a press release, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Worldwide Airport stated, “This video shouldn’t be taking part in at SFO, in line with our coverage prohibiting any messaging of a political nature.”
“North Carolina municipal legislation in addition to CLT Airport’s coverage for digital content material don’t allow the referenced video,” Charlotte Douglas Worldwide stated in a press release.
Westchester County Govt Ken Jenkins referred to as the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we count on from our nation’s prime public officers.”
“At a time once we must be targeted on making certain stability, collaboration and preparedness, the sort of messaging solely distracts from the true points, and undermines public belief. As County Govt, I consider our residents deserve clear, sincere and nonpartisan communication — particularly with regards to nationwide safety, authorities shutdown impacts, and public security,” he stated in a press release.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin repeated in a press release what Noem stated within the video and added that “safety operations stay largely unimpacted presently.” She didn’t particularly touch upon airports not taking part in the video.
