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A number of major global air travel hubs across the America, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this video would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to show the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs remain unbiased.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “declined to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

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

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

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Solution

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