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Several major international air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have chosen to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Raised by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” the Secretary remarked in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to identify methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.