RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond International Airport (RIC) is one of several airports nationwide not showing a video of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in which she blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown.
An airport spokesperson told CBS 6 that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approached RIC last week and requested they show the video.
The airport spokesperson cited internal, local, state, and federal concerns for not showing the video, but wouldn't elaborate on the nature of those concerns.
He said the airport is showing a video of Noem at TSA checkpoints in which she discusses the REAL ID law.
That video, the spokesperson said, has been airing since April.
Richmond airport joins Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International, Portland International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Charlotte Douglas International Airport and three airports in New York state that are not playing Noem's government shutdown video.
"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," Noem said in the video released last week and intended to play at airport security lines. "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."
Airport officials in other cities have cited a variety of reasons for refusing to play the video, from its “political content” to a potential violation of federal law.
"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," Molly Prescott, spokesperson for the Port of Portland, said.
The Hatch Act is a 1939 law which prohibits political activities of federal employees to ensure government programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.
TSA checkpoints often include videos featuring government officials welcoming travelers and explanations of procedures, but they usually do not contain political messages.
In a statement Tuesday morning, the Department of Homeland Security reiterated much of the language from the video, including blaming the shutdown on Democrats.
“Our security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time. It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship,” the statement said. “Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
Flying during a shutdown
Travelers can still fly despite the lapse in funding, and early on in the shutdown, they might not even notice any issues at the airport.
Control towers and airport security checkpoints will still be staffed, with about 13,200 air traffic controllers and more than 61,000 Transportation Security Administration employees expected to remain on the job.
But as more time passes for the workers since their last paycheck, travelers could start to see longer lines at security and flight interruptions, said Jeffrey Price, professor of aviation at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
“The system does become a little bit more brittle, and the longer this goes, the more the traveler is going to notice it,” Price said.
That's what happened in 2018 and 2019, when Trump led the country into its longest shutdown ever for 35 days during his first term.
About three weeks into that shutdown, some unpaid security screeners started calling in sick, and air traffic controllers sued the government in a bid to get their paychecks. Miami International Airport had to temporarily close one of its terminals because TSA officers were calling in sick at twice the airport’s usual rate.
The latest shutdown is unfolding at a time when both the TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration are already facing staffing shortages, including a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.
If the system can’t handle the number of flights that are scheduled, the FAA will slow down landings and take offs and passengers will see more delays and cancellations.
Safety at airports and in the air
Nick Daniels, president of the union that represents air traffic controllers, said a shutdown weakens the aviation safety system by adding stress on controllers and taking away many of the workers who support them and maintain the outdated system they rely on.
“They’re out there working right now with critical staffing — the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades of only 10,800, where there should be 14,633. And on top of that, they’re working with unreliable equipment,” Daniels said.
During the 35-day shutdown during Trump's first term, controllers in the busiest U.S. air traffic facilities reported working as much as 60 hours per week, and an increasing number of TSA agents also quit their jobs.
“This is more than just an inconvenience to the traveler,” Price said of the shutdown. “This is definitely going to bring up safety and security issues, if it really starts to go into the long term.”
International travel into the U.S.
Ports of entry into the country are expected to stay open for international travelers, according to the Department of Homeland Security's contingency plan.
The department estimated that about 63,000 workers at Customs and Border Protection would still report to work. They include employees who are responsible for protecting the country's borders and monitoring traffic coming into the U.S. at official border crossings, like airports and land crossings from Canada and Mexico.
Passports and visas
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency responsible for overseeing the naturalization process, is primarily funded by application fees, meaning a lapse in funding at the federal government has minimal impacts on most passport and visa processing.
Agency spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement, however, that the shutdown does temporarily shutter the agency's E-Verify program, a free online system that employers can use to confirm their new employees are authorized to work in the U.S.
The Associated Press and CNN Wire contributed to this report.
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