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Several key global air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to display the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem said in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a statement that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

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

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the importance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify methods to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.