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A number of key international air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are unpaid,” the Secretary stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

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

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to post the video” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a statement, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find methods to assist government workers working without pay during the shutdown.