Major airports across the country — including in New York City, Chicago and Atlanta — are refusing to play a video featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the impacts of the government shutdown. 

Many of the airport representatives said their facility’s policies bar the showing of political content. Some also pointed to the Hatch Act, a law that restricts the political activities of federal employees as well as some state and local employees who are involved in or work in federally funded programs. 

The roughly 30-second video began rolling out to airports last week, according to DHS. 

“It is TSA’s top priority to make you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe,” Noem says in the video. “However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the government. And because of this, many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay. 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. “ 

Overall, of the TSA’s roughly 64,000 employees, more than 61,000 are working without pay during the government shutdown, which is now in its second week. 

Democrats maintain Republicans shoulder the responsibility for the shutdown, arguing they need to negotiate over health care premiums as part of an effort to come to agreement on federal spending. 

Among the airports that have declined to show the DHS video are LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, Charlotte Douglas International, Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O’ Hare, Phoenix International and Colorado Springs. 

“The Port Authority’s longstanding policies prevent airing of politically partisan messages at our facilities, so airports are not airing the video on airport-controlled screens,” The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates New York City’s three major airports, said in a statement.  

In a statement, Portland International Airport, in Oregon, said it “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.”.

The statement went on to say: “Additionally, Oregon law states 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.”

Some airports, such as the Akron-Canton airport in northeastern Ohio, said digital video screens at their facilities are designated for “static content that supports wayfinding and essential travel information.” 

In response to a request for comment about some airports declining to play the video, DHS provided a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin: “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. While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations remain largely unimpacted 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.”

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP) — Some airports around the country are refusing to play a video with a message from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in which she blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its impacts on TSA operations because of its political content.

Airports in Las Vegas, Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle and more say the video goes against their airport policy or regulations which prohibit political messaging in their facilities.

Various government agencies, in emails to workers and on websites, have adopted language that blames Democrats for the shutdown, with some experts arguing it could be in violation of the 1939 Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees.

The shutdown has halted routine operations and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions. Democrats say any deal to reopen the government has to address their health care demands, and Republicans say they won’t negotiate until they agree to fund the government. Insurance premiums would double if Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments that expire Dec. 31.

In the video, Noem says that TSA’s “top priority” is to help make travel pleasant and efficient while keeping passengers 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,” she continues.

The Transportation Security Administration falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Roughly 61,000 of the agency’s 64,130 employees are required to continue working during the shutdown. The Department said Friday that the video is being rolled out to airports across the country.

A DHS spokeswoman responded to a request for comment restating some of the message from Noem’s video.

“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,” spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.

The Harry Reid International Airport, in Las Vegas, said it had to “remain mindful of the Hatch Act’s restrictions.”

“Per airport regulations, the terminals and surrounding areas are not designated public forums, and the airport’s intent is to avoid the use of the facility for political or religious advocacy,” the statement said.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the county north of New York City won’t play the video at its local airport. In a statement, he called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials,” and said its tone is “unnecessarily alarmist” as it relates to operations at Westchester County Airport.

“At a time when we should be focused on ensuring stability, collaboration and preparedness, this type of messaging only distracts from the real issues, and undermines public trust,” he said. ___

Associated Press writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Air Canada is delaying its plans to resume services on Sunday after its 10,000 striking flight attendants defied the Canadian government’s return-to-work order to remain on the picket lines.

The strike, which began on Saturday morning, stranded more than 100,000 travelers around the world during the peak summer travel season. The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered airline staff back to work by 2 p.m. Sunday after the Canadian government intervened and Air Canada said it planned to resume flights Sunday evening.

However, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants, said the demonstrations will keep going around the country, despite the airline’s statement.

“We invite Air Canada back to the table to negotiate a fair deal, rather than relying on the federal government to do their dirty work for them when bargaining gets a little bit tough,” the union said. “We remain on strike. We demand a fair, negotiated contract and to be compensated for all hours worked.”

The airline said in a statement Sunday afternoon that it plans to resume flights on Monday evening.

Fewer than 12 hours after workers walked off the job, Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu ordered the 10,000 flight attendants back to work, saying now is not the time to take risks with the economy and noting the unprecedented tariffs the U.S. has imposed on Canada. Hajdu referred the work stoppage to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

The shutdown of Canada’s largest airline early Saturday was impacting about 130,000 people a day. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.

According to numbers from aviation analytics provider Cirium, Air Canada had canceled a total of 671 flights by Saturday afternoon, following 199 on Friday. And another 96 flights scheduled for Sunday were already suspended.

The bitter contract fight escalated Friday as the union turned down Air Canada’s prior request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which allows a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract.

Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports.

Last year, the government forced the country’s two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union during a work stoppage. The union for the rail workers is suing, arguing the government is removing a union’s leverage in negotiations.

The Business Council of Canada had urged the government to impose binding arbitration in this case, too. And the Canadian Chamber of Commerce welcomed the intervention.

Hajdu maintained that her Liberal government is not anti-union, saying it is clear the two sides are at an impasse.

Passengers whose flights are impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline’s website or mobile app, according to Air Canada.

The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. Still, it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full “due to the summer travel peak.”

Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal.

Both sides have said they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren’t in the air.

The airline’s latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions, over four years, that it said “would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.”

But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn’t go far enough because of inflation.