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A number of major global air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its present version, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this content would break state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “the video's message included political messaging that did not align with the neutral, informational nature of the public service announcements usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that prohibits partisan actions by government employees to ensure that government programs remain impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

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

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to find ways to assist federal employees unpaid during the closure.