San Jose Mineta International airport isn't airing a video of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for operational delays during the federal shutdown due to its political content. Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento and Stockton have also chosen to not play Noem's video in their airports. In the 37-second video, Noem said airport operations are being impacted and federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are working without pay because "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government."
Its beneficiaries are expected to feel the impact within one to two weeks. The program in question is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known by its acronym WIC, which has a yearly budget of $8 billion. It provides vouchers for infant formula, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk, and other healthy staples
OMB chief Russ Vought told House Republicans on a private call Wednesday that the administration will start mass reduction in force moves, or firings, of federal workers in a day or two, according to four people granted anonymity to describe the call. Vought and President Donald Trump have both threatened to inflict maximum pain on Democrats during the shutdown as Senate Republicans hope to peel off additional Democrats in the coming days to vote for the GOP-led stopgap to end the standoff.