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A number of prominent international airports across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could breach state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to play this content would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the TSA does not own any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a public comment, called the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will shortly realize the importance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to find ways to assist government workers working without pay during the shutdown.