A video has yet to play at John Wayne Airport that the Department of Homeland Security has asked airports across the country to show with a message from Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the government shutdown and its impacts on Transportation Security Administration operations.
JWA spokesperson AnnaSophia Servin said the request, which was made verbally, is under review, and the video has not been played at the facility.
Nearby Long Beach Airport officials have said the municipal facility will not play the video because its political content violates state and federal laws — specifically, the 1939 federal Hatch Act that restricts certain political activities by federal employees. Airports in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Seattle and some others have also refused to play the video, citing company policies that prohibit content with political messaging.
“In Long Beach, we come together and we don’t play that,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a video statement on Wednesday, Oct. 15. “While Washington shuts down, we’re stepping up, keeping our services running, protecting our residents and supporting our workers. What we need from our federal government right now is cooperation, not division.”
In the video, Noem says that it is TSA’s “top priority” to make travel pleasant and efficient while keeping passengers safe.
“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 in the video. “We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel. And our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
Noem is the Homeland Security department chief for President Donald Trump, whose Republican Party also controls the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, though without enough members in the upper chamber to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to pass a budget bill. Democratic Party leadership has said they won’t support the bill unless Republicans agree to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire at year’s end. Some medical insurance premiums would double if Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments that expire Dec. 31, leaders have said.
Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, John Wayne Airport leaders have said they don’t “anticipate noticeable disruptions for our traveling guests.”
“John Wayne Airport is closely monitoring the federal government shutdown and its potential impacts on airport operations,” officials said. “While staffing levels and resources are determined at the federal level, we remain in close communication with our federal partners to support their efforts and mitigate any potential impacts to travelers at John Wayne Airport.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.