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Several key global airports across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the continuing government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA staff are unpaid,” Noem remarked in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to airing the video in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services remain non-partisan.

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

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

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to support federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.