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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in response to the partisan video addressing the federal government shutdown that is being broadcast at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at airports across America, including Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW).

In the video, Noem says, “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.” Dingell is urging the Secretary to remove the video and instead focus efforts on supporting TSA employees who are working without pay during the shutdown.

“The video depicts you, in your official capacity as Secretary of Homeland Security, assigning blame to the Democratic party for the federal government shutdown,” Dingell writes. “The video is deeply concerning as it appears to be a partisan message, which is not allowed with federal resources. The Hatch Act explicitly prohibits federal employees from engaging in certain political activities to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion. Under the Hatch Act, it is also illegal to utilize government resources to benefit or disparage any political party.”

“Many airports across the country are refusing to broadcast the video due to it violating local policies and state laws barring the use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” Dingell continues. “At DTW, signs have been posted informing travelers that the TSA-controlled video does not reflect the views of the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA), which manages the airport, and that WCAA does not engage in partisan politics.”

“TSA employees are a backbone of the U.S. aviation system. They serve on the frontlines keeping Americans safe, ensuring security at our airports, and keeping our aviation system running. Yet due to the ongoing government shutdown, they are all working without pay,” Dingell concludes. “Despite this, they have remained committed to serving the American public and other travelers who depend on them for their safety. We should be entirely focused on supporting these dedicated men and women during this difficult time, not inserting political content that only undermines their important mission. I urge you to remove this video from public viewing at DTW and other federal security checkpoints and instead focus on helping the federal workers who show up every day to keep Americans safe. Passenger safety and their overall travel experience at airports should be our guiding light in the airport, not messaging on partisan politics.”

View the full text of the letter here.