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A number of key international airports across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats decline to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs stay unbiased.

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “declined to post the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified 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 does not own any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

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 unpaid during the closure.