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A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York 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 prohibits government workers from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our functions are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are unpaid,” Noem stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this video would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “its content contained partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay unbiased.

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a statement, called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive said, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support government workers unpaid during the shutdown.