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Several major international air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to displaying the video in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

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