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Several key international air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

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

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

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

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.