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A number of key international air travel hubs across the America, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline 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 employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to airing the video in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” 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.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “its content included political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services remain unbiased.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly 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 noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a statement, called the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

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

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify methods to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.