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Several prominent international airports across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats decline to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our TSA staff are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs remain impartial.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “refused to post the video” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

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

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to find ways to assist federal employees unpaid during the closure.