The Tampa Bay area airports are not playing the video because they don’t have the hardware.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Big and small airports across the nation have pushed back against playing a video where Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, blames members of the Democratic Party for the government shutdown, with some opposing it while citing the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan and political activities by federal employees.
In Florida, it’s for another reason.
The video was intended to play on monitors at TSA checkpoints nationwide.
The St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, as well as the Tampa International Airport, told 10 Tampa Bay News on Monday that the video is not being played at their facilities because they don’t have the video screens to do so.
“TSA does not have video monitors at our checkpoints, so it won’t be showing at PIE,” a St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport spokesperson said.
“TPA does not have video screens at our checkpoints or other passenger areas,” a Tampa International Airport spokesperson said. “The screens we do have in our terminals are set up to display static images and messaging only.”
Staff from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport did not respond to a request for comment.
When 10 Tampa Bay News asked the TSA to clarify if the DHS would impose penalties against airports not playing the video, as well as what the directive was from Noem’s agency, a spokesperson replied with language echoing the words used by the secretary, blaming the Democratic Party again for the government shutdown.
“It is TSA’s top priority to ensure that travelers have the most safe, pleasant and efficient airport experience possible. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” a TSA spokesperson stated in a written statement.
“While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations remain largely in impacted at this time. It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government,” the TSA statement read.
Airport staff in New York, Atlanta, Chicago and other major cities said the video’s political content goes against their policies or regulations prohibiting political messaging in their facilities.
Some experts have argued that Noem’s video could be in violation of the 1939 Hatch Act.
What’s the Hatch Act?
According to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the Hatch Act “limits certain political activities of federal employees,” the OSC states on its website.
“Except for the President and Vice President, all federal civilian executive branch employees are covered by the Hatch Act,” the OSC states.
The Hatch Act restricts federal employees from engaging in any political activity, such as “activity directed at the success or failure of a political party,” the OSC says. Also, employees may not engage in political activity “while wearing a uniform or official insignia.”
Only in some cases, federal employees may engage in specific political or partisan activities. For example, registering and voting as they choose.
The OSC is responsible for investigating any violations of the Hatch Act, according to its website.
Penalties for violating the Hatch Act include “removal from federal service, reduction in grade, debarment from federal employment for a period not to exceed 5 years, suspension, reprimand or a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000.”
The Associated Press and Megan Divers contributed to this report.