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Several key international air travel hubs across the America, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem remarked in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to playing the video in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid airport also declined to show the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain unbiased.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the importance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to support government workers unpaid during the shutdown.