Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Sunport won’t air a Department of Homeland Security video featuring Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown.
“The Trump Administration asked airports to play a political TSA video, but our airports aren’t the place for partisan messages,” Keller said in a Facebook post. “At the Sunport, our focus stays where it belongs, on safety, security and making sure everyone has a good travel experience.”
In a formal statement, Keller said, “Our nation’s airports are not an appropriate venue for political messages, especially statements that will lead to confusion for the traveling public. Our focus at the Sunport remains where it should be: the safety, security and experience of all travelers.”
In the video, posted by the White House, Noem said, “It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you 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.”
Airports in major cities, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle and Salt Lake City, said they won’t air the video because of policies barring political content, according to Politico.
Several other airports nationwide, including those in Seattle, Portland, Charlotte and Las Vegas, also declined to show it. Kathleen Clark, a government ethics law professor at Washington University, told NPR the video violates the Hatch Act, which bans federal officials from using their position or public resources for partisan purposes. John Berry, a lawyer who has handled Hatch Act cases for 26 years, told CNN the video “completely runs afoul of the Hatch Act.”
“We did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” a Port of Portland spokesperson said, according to The Hill.
The federal government shutdown, now in its 15th day, began Oct. 1 and has forced about 50,000 TSA officers to work without pay. Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over a spending bill, with Democrats pushing to include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies.