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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 block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators decline to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA workers are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay unbiased.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

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

DHS Reply

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

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

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