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Several key global air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to play this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that forbids partisan actions by government employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “declined to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a public comment, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

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

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the government shutdown” and was working to identify ways to support government workers unpaid during the closure.