Today, Senate President Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and State Senator Christine Cohen, Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, condemn the Trump administration’s politicization of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints here in Connecticut and across the country.
It has been reported that TSA began displaying a 30-second clip of Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, blaming Democrats in Congress for the government shutdown which has led to paused pay for federal workers, including air traffic control and TSA agents, and travel delays across the country.
Although this video will be playing at Bradley International Airport, according to the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) there have not been extensive call outs by FAA or TSA staff at this point, and no operational impacts or safety concerns have been reported at Bradley.
In the video, Secretary Noem addresses the shutdown and blames Democrats for potential delays: “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. 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. 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.”
“Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans know that they own this government shutdown, and they are taking extraordinary measures to convince Americans otherwise,” said Senators Looney and Duff. “The Trump administration and its Department of Homeland Security are following a chilling playbook as they continue to utilize government resources for blatant propaganda to paint some of their most unpopular actions in a more flattering light. From ICE recruitment videos that read like a video game advertisement, to now lying to Americans while they experience avoidable travel delays, their dishonesty knows no bounds.”
“While TSA workers and air traffic controllers enter another week without pay, our President is playing politics and subjecting travelers to what I would consider political messaging at best and downright lies at worst,” said Sen. Cohen. “Transportation safety is a critical and nonpartisan endeavor, and this administration’s use of public safety equipment like these monitors to spread disinformation and further division is unacceptable. Connecticut travelers and those across our country deserve better.”
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