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A number of key international airports across the America, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are unpaid,” Noem stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we consider the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that forbids political activities by federal employees to guarantee that government programs remain non-partisan.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.