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Several key international airports across the United States, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to playing the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

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

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Response

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

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to support federal employees unpaid during the shutdown.