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Several key global air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing government closure from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA workers are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services remain non-partisan.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

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

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to support federal employees working without pay during the closure.