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Several key global airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the political statements could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay impartial.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive said, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.