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Several prominent global air travel hubs across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” Noem stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

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

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify methods to support federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.