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Several major international air travel hubs across the America, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our TSA workers are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its present version, as we consider the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the PSAs typically shown 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 forbids political activities by federal employees to guarantee that government programs remain impartial.

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates 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 digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to find methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.