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A number of major international airports across the United States, such as 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 video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the current government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a release that “its content included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a public comment, described the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was working to identify methods to support federal employees working without pay during the closure.