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Several key international air travel hubs across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars government workers from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA employees are unpaid,” Noem stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content included political messaging that did not align with the impartial, informational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the video” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect 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, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the importance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented 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.