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Several major global air travel hubs across the America, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” the Secretary said 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 federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to play this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that government programs remain impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, citing “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a public comment, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

DHS Response

A DHS official, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify methods to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.