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Several prominent international air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs typically shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that prohibits partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the video” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to find methods to support government workers unpaid during the closure.