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Several prominent global airports across the US, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the continuing government closure from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which bars government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a release that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that government programs remain non-partisan.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Response

A DHS official, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to identify ways to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.