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Several prominent international airports across the US, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the continuing government closure from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the political statements could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids government workers from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats decline to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” Noem said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids political activities by federal employees to guarantee that government programs stay impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

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

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

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