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Several prominent global airports across the US, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators decline to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” the Secretary stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “its content included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational purpose of the PSAs typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that forbids political activities by federal employees to ensure that public services stay non-partisan.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a public comment, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to find methods to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.