GOP lawmakers are now attacking Disney at the federal level

Republicans aren’t done targeting Disney in their political, disinformation-riddled war on free enterprise. 

Late last week, several House Republicans introduced a bill that would rescind special no-fly zones federally authorized above two Disney properties: Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 

It’s the latest example of the GOP, which is known for favoring corporate interests, seemingly targeting a corporation because of its political independence. Disney, of course, has been under attack by conservatives — especially Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — ever since company leadership spoke out against bigoted legislation, signed by DeSantis, that restricts in-school discussions about LGBTQ people. 

For this reason, Republican lawmakers have falsely accused Disney of “grooming” children. And with DeSantis’ blessing, Florida lawmakers moved to strip Disney of its special tax status last year.

Now, it seems, Republicans are taking things even further.

Rep. Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, first introduced the Airlines Independent of Restrictions Act targeting Disney’s “no-fly zones” last June. He reintroduced it Friday, with co-sponsors including right-wing extremists Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. 

“Theme parks like Disney should not receive special treatment just because they are well-connected,” Nehls said in a news release upon the bill’s reintroduction. “Our national security should not be compromised to fit the needs of one corporation.”

The lawmakers have picked a convenient time to revive a long-standing debate. 

In 2003, ahead of the Iraq War, lawmakers helped put extremely rare no-fly zones in place over Disneyland and Disney World, supposedly for national security purposes. This has upset people in the aviation community, especially aerial advertising companies that would like to fly banners over the Disney properties.

So are there legitimate reasons to question the no-fly zones? Sure. And I’m certainly no advocate for corporate privileges when it comes at the expense of workers or Americans broadly. 

But I’m not a fan of illiberal weaponization of the federal government either. And that certainly appears to be the case here.

Just look at this quote from Boebert, included in Nehls’ news release: “Woke corporations shouldn’t get any favors from the government. The FAA has no business granting a no-fly-zone over Disney parks. Universal Studios, Hershey Park, Six Flags, and other theme parks don’t have no-fly-zones over them, and it’s time for Disney to get the same treatment. No corporation should get preferential treatment from the government — especially when it is grooming children. Go woke, go broke.”

Leave it to Lauren Boebert — the congressional dunce — to spill the beans on Republicans’ apparent motivation here. Overtly political statements like that, made by DeSantis, are actually why some observers think Disney could win its lawsuit against the Florida governor. 

With the aviation legislation several steps away from passing, it might be premature to ponder whether Disney would take similar legal action to maintain its no-fly zones. Still, it’s noteworthy that Republicans’ political crusade against a business that ran afoul of their wishes is metastasizing at the federal level.