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A number of prominent global airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the continuing government closure from playing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to display the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators decline to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA workers are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to displaying the video in its current form, as we consider 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 political party and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay impartial.

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA does not own any screens at its security areas and that its few digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a public comment, called the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to find methods to support government workers unpaid during the shutdown.