Atlanta airport will not air TSA video that blames Democrats for the shutdown
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has joined the list of U.S. airports that have opted to not display the Department of Homeland Security’s newest airport security screening video.
The video, which features Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown that has left federal workers including Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay.
The Atlanta airport “strives to maintain a neutral and welcoming environment for all travelers,” a spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement.
“In keeping with federal and local airport policies, we will not display the recently-distributed video from DHS on airport controlled media.”
Airports across the country including in Phoenix, Charlotte and Seattle have also refused to air the video. Some are concerned it violates a law that requires federal programs be administered in a nonpartisan fashion, Axios reported.
The shutdown is in its 13th day, but the world’s busiest airport has not yet seen a significant impact to its operations.
However, as time passes, union leadership tells the AJC that could change.
Air traffic controllers and TSA officers just received their first partial paychecks and are set to receive zero dollars in two weeks if the shutdown continues.
For now, air traffic control remains “business as usual,” Dan McCabe, Southern regional vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, confirmed Monday.
In a previous interview he expressed concern about the effects the stress of the shutdown might have on controllers’ ability to focus in a stressful job.
Atlanta’s roughly 1,200 TSA officers “are still really making every effort to come to work at this point,” said Aaron Barker, president of the Local 554 chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees union that represents them.
“If this continues on that may be a different tune next week.”
About the Author
As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
