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Several prominent global air travel hubs across the America, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from being shown at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA staff are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that forbids partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that government programs remain impartial.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are reserved for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

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

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to identify ways to support government workers unpaid during the closure.