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A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to restrict a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits political activities by government employees to ensure that public services stay unbiased.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a public comment, called the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to identify methods to support federal employees working without pay during the closure.