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A number of key global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA staff are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

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

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

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

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are reserved for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and out of line 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 leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

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