Philly airport grounds Kristi Noem's government shutdown video
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A monitor displays Real ID information with Kristi Noem at LaGuardia on Aug. 19. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Airports across the country — including Philly — are refusing to show a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming the ongoing government shutdown on congressional Democrats .
Why it matters: The Trump administration released the video for airing at TSA checkpoints earlier this month, but some transportation authorities have shelved the message out of concern it violates the Hatch Act.
- That's the law that aims to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.
Worth noting: Airports do regularly display videos from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, though those typically focus on safety or travel procedures, not partisan messaging, The Washington Post reports.
What they're saying: The Philadelphia airport "does not accept or display materials that are political in nature in its facilities," PHL spokesperson Heather Redfern tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Noem's video says it's the TSA's priority to ensure efficient, pleasant and safe travel — but "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government."
- Noem continues, "because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay."
- She then expresses "hope" that "Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government."
Zoom out: Other major airports who confirmed to Axios they won't show the video include Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Buffalo and Charlotte.
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas isn't playing it either, CNN reported.
- Westchester County, New York, Executive Ken Jenkins slammed the DHS request to display the video as "inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation's top public officials." He said the county's airport wouldn't play it.
The other side: "[I]t's unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that largely echoed Noem's message.
- McLaughlin didn't directly respond to Axios' request for a response to local authorities opting against showing the video.
The big picture: Staffing shortages have plagued airports amid the shutdown. Under a lapse in appropriations, thousands of TSA workers and air traffic controllers must work without pay, per agency shutdown procedures.
Go deeper: Trump administration pushes OOO emails blaming shutdown on Democrats