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Several major international airports across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have chosen to block a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to playing the video in its current form, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

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