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A number of major global air travel hubs across the America, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are not receiving wages,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to play this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a statement, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

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