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Several major global air travel hubs across the America, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators decline to fund the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that prohibits partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that government programs remain non-partisan.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to post the video” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the TSA does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a statement, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

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