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A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the America, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current government closure from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which bars government workers from participating in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats decline to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA employees are unpaid,” Noem stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this content would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services remain non-partisan.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• 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 digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a public comment, called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

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