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A number of key international airports across the America, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to block a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars government workers from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are unpaid,” Noem stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to playing the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the TSA video on similar grounds, 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 shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that public services remain impartial.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “declined to display the video” to stay “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 content.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a statement, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to find ways to support government workers unpaid during the closure.