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A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to display the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which bars government workers from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a release that “the video's message contained political messaging that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs stay non-partisan.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, described the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the importance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to find ways to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.