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Several major global airports across the US, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Cited by Airport Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational purpose of the PSAs typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay unbiased.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and out of line with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to find methods to support government workers working without pay during the closure.