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Several key global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Raised by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars government workers from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the PSAs usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by government employees to ensure that government programs remain unbiased.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

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

DHS Reply

A DHS official, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

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