Airport security falls directly under the secretary of Homeland Security, but numerous such facilities around the country have decided to ban Kristi Noem's message on the continued government shutdown.
Noem recorded a message for travelers meant to help explain the fact that airport workers are not currently being paid, including those employed by TSA, and also to underscore the likelihood of travel delays.
The secretary's message was banned, however, because airport management apparently did not like the fact that she blamed the shutdown on Democrats.
As soon as the shutdown happened, the White House pointed the finger of blame at Democrats for not signing a clean continuing resolution (CR).
The Trump administration, in part, stated, “Democrats have officially brought on a full-blown government shutdown — engineered by the Radical Left lunatics who control of their party.”
The statement continued, “As the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans hang in the balance, Chuck Schumer gives it two thumbs up.” That statement was followed by an image of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on MSNBC bragging about how Democrats held the leverage and declaring that they would not fold.
The bottom line here is that we have plenty of Republicans willing to negotiate on the purported sticking point of healthcare, and three Democrats have already walked across the aisle to support the CR's passage, but the rest of the Democratic Party is holding out. So, yes, this shutdown is on them.
Noem released a video to be played at airports to explain the present situation to travelers, especially about possible delays.
Her video stated, “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.”
The message continued, “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.”
Oregon’s Portland International Airport, Washington’s Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Niagara Falls International Airport, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and Westchester County Airport have all refused to play the message, citing it as a possible violation of the Hatch Act, contending that her message is political in nature and reinforcing their decision not to play it.
As I am writing this report, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) announced that he will put another clean bill on the floor for Democrats to vote to reopen the government.
The Senate is set to convene at 3:00 p.m., and the vote is scheduled to occur at around 5:30 p.m., so the tally will likely be in by the time you read this.
Military pay has been taken off the table as a bargaining chip, as President Donald Trump has already ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to pay the troops. Republicans have been more than willing to talk about extending healthcare tax cuts as well, so there is really nothing for Democrats to whine about any longer.
If they refuse to support this bill, and I suspect they will, expect the GOP to go into overdrive to hit Democrats for continuing to keep the government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) seems to think this shutdown will break records for its length, but I hope he is wrong. Dems have a chance to do the right thing here, and I hope every instinct I have on this is incorrect and that they vote to open the government back up. If they don’t, I think Johnson's prediction could indeed come true.
