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Several prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current government closure from being shown at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are working without pay,” Noem stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational nature of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding 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.

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA does not own any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are reserved for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

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

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support federal employees unpaid during the closure.