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A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify methods to support federal employees unpaid during the closure.