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Several major international air travel hubs across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from participating in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our TSA staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to displaying the video in its present version, as we believe the federal law 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 agreeing to play this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services stay impartial.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county executive stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find ways to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.