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A number of major international air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are working without pay,” the Secretary stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid airport also declined to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational purpose of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that forbids political activities by federal employees to ensure that public services remain unbiased.

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the video “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

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

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to identify ways to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.