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A number of prominent international airports across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to airing the video in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a release that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational purpose of the PSAs typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that government programs stay unbiased.

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to find ways to assist government workers working without pay during the shutdown.