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A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have chosen to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, 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, which prohibits government workers from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats decline to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary said in the video.

Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

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

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “declined to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support federal employees unpaid during the closure.