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A number of major international airports across the America, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are unpaid,” the Secretary stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to play this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “its content included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that forbids political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs stay impartial.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A DHS official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.