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A number of major global airports across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the current government closure from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats decline to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” Noem stated in the video.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to guarantee that public services stay unbiased.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a statement, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was working to find methods to assist federal employees unpaid during the closure.