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Several key international airports across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have opted to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from participating in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are working without pay,” the Secretary stated in the video.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

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

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive said, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify methods to assist federal employees unpaid during the shutdown.