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A number of key global airports across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the continuing government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from participating in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our TSA staff are not receiving wages,” Noem said in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to airing the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting 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 security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services remain impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates 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 rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are reserved for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

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

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will soon realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support federal employees unpaid during the shutdown.