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A number of major international air travel hubs across the America, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the continuing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats decline to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are unpaid,” Noem said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to playing the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services stay unbiased.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

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

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find methods to support federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.