Airports are refusing to air video blaming Democrats for government shutdown

KANIKA SINGH RATHORE,

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Airports across the country have refused to broadcast a biased video Secretary of Homeland Security christy calls Blaming the Democrats for this ongoing government shutdown,

After this the government has been closed for almost three weeks Congress failed to pass a bill Funding federal agencies until midnight on October 1. thousands of flights delayedSince then, many complaints have come to light related to shortage of staff at air traffic control towers.

On Monday alone, there were nearly 7,000 delays in or out of the US, according to the flight tracking site. flight AwareBecause airports are affected by staff shortage and bad weather.

In what is becoming a common occurrence amid shutdowns, the Trump administration is Using federal forums to reiterate Republican talking points Democrats are the reason government agencies are not operating at their average rate.

Several airports from Buffalo, New York, to Portland, Oregon, are refusing to air a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in which she blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown.

Several airports from Buffalo, New York, to Portland, Oregon, are refusing to air a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in which she blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown. ,Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images,

In Noem’s video, she said, “It is TSA’s top priority to ensure you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience possible while keeping you safe. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations have been impacted and the majority of our TSA employees are working without pay.”

“We will continue to do everything we can to avoid delays that could impact your travel. And our hope is that Democrats will recognize the importance of opening the government soon,” he said.

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fox news first reported The video last Thursday said it would “play at every public airport in America.” But, according to a new report Washington PostThings don’t work out that way.

Airports serving Buffalo, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon have refused to play the video, saying it could violate internal police or state or federal laws that ban political messaging.

Thousands of flight delays have been reported since the government shutdown, many of which are linked to staffing shortages at air traffic control towers.

Thousands of flight delays have been reported since the government shutdown, many of which are linked to staffing shortages at air traffic control towers. ,Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images,

“We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits the use of public properties for political purposes and messaging,” said Molly Prescott, spokeswoman for the Port of Portland, which operates Portland International Airport. Washington Post,

According to the US Office of Special Counsel, the Hatch Act bans certain political activities of federal employees, in part to “ensure that federal programs are administered in a non-partisan manner”.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said Washington Post His local airport, north of New York City, refused to show the “unnecessarily distressing” video, calling it “inconsistent with the values ​​we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

When? Independent Reached for comment about the backlash Noem’s video was receiving from the Department of Homeland Security, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reiterated the message of the video, saying: “Our security operations are largely unaffected at this time. It is unfortunate that our workforce has been placed in this position due to political gamesmanship.”

The government has been shut down for nearly three weeks after Congress failed to pass a bill to fund federal agencies by midnight on October 1.

The government has been shut down for nearly three weeks after Congress failed to pass a bill to fund federal agencies by midnight on October 1. ,Brandon Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images,

In addition to Noem’s video, there are also pop-ups on government websites blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

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“The radical left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need,” reads a message on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website.

In a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration, a federal labor union said it was “making a mockery of statutory prohibitions such as the Hatch Act.”

The lawsuit, filed by the American Federation of Government Employees, claims the Education Department changed employees’ out-of-office emails with “partisan language” without providing notice or obtaining consent, and blames Democratic senators for the shutdown.

In addition to Noem's video, there are also pop-ups on government websites blaming Democrats for the shutdown

In addition to Noem’s video, there are also pop-ups on government websites blaming Democrats for the shutdown ,Department of Housing and Urban Development,

Democrats are seeking to reverse Medicaid cuts set in Trump’s massive spending bill, which he signed in July, and support a funding bill expanding Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Republicans have made baseless claims that Democrats want to give free health care to undocumented immigrants, despite the group not being eligible for federal health programs other than emergency services.

Flight delays caused by some air traffic controllers calling in sick helped lawmakers press for opening the government during the last shutdown during the latter half of Trump’s first term. But so far, Democrats and Republicans have not been able to reach any agreement this time.

Uk