SAN JOSE – At least two major Bay Area airports have opted not to play a video of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem saying Democrats are to blame for the federal government shutdown.
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The video is intended to play at security lines, with Noem stating, “It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient experience as possible while we keep you safe,” CNN reported.
“However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” Noem says.
The video is currently not playing at either the Oakland or San Jose international airports, spokespeople for the airports said in emails to this news organization. A spokesperson for the San Francisco International Airport did not immediately respond to a message Monday afternoon asking if the video was being shown at SFO.
“Operations at SJC are continuing without disruption, so no additional messaging in the terminals is necessary,” San Jose Mineta International Airport said in a statement. “In the event of any operational impacts, airport-specific messaging will be used to keep passengers informed and ensure they have a seamless travel experience at SJC.”
In a statement, Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport said the video is “not running at OAK at this time,” adding it “appreciates its partners at the Transportation Security Administration as they perform their important work in support of the safe and secure travel of OAK passengers.”
It was not immediately clear if the Oakland and San Jose airports received a request from TSA to run the video.
A spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which operates Portland International Airport, told CNN it declined TSA’s request to play the video because it violates the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that restricts certain political activities by federal employees.
The Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle-Tacoma international airports have also declined to run the video.
Check back for updates.
