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Several key global airports across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the current government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Raised by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which bars government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services remain impartial.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

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