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Several prominent international air travel hubs across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are unpaid,” the Secretary stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to playing the video in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to play this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal 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 government programs stay impartial.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a public comment, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive said, noting that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find methods to support federal employees unpaid during the shutdown.