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A number of key international air travel hubs across the America, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have opted to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “its content contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, informational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to post the video” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also refused, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was working to find ways to support federal employees unpaid during the closure.