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A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the America, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from participating in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress decline to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA workers are unpaid,” Noem remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational purpose of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

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