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A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have opted to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars government workers from participating in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats decline to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we consider the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that Oregon law bars government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International 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 Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are reserved for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the PSA “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the government shutdown” and was working to find ways to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.