SEATTLE —The Port of Seattle has joined Portland’s airport in refusing to air a video at TSA checkpoints that features Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown.
“Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted,” Noem says in the video, which is meant for commercial airline passengers going through airport security. “Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
The shutdown began on Oct. 1 after Senators failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund the federal government. The shutdown has affected airport operations and TSA pay.
A Port of Seattle spokesperson stated, “The Port of Seattle will not play the video on its screens at SEA airport, due to the political nature of the content. We continue to urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown and are working to find ways to support federal employees working without pay at SEA. during the shutdown.”
A spokesperson from Portland added that the video might violate the Hatch Act, which limits political activities of federal employees.
“We didn’t consent to playing it, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits using public assets for political purposes and messaging. Additionally, Oregon law states that no public employee can promote or oppose any political committee, party, or affiliation. We believe consenting to playing this video on Port assets would violate Oregon law,” the spokesperson said.The TSA has not yet commented on the situation.
트위터 공유: 민주당 탓 공항 폐쇄 영상 거부 논란