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Several major international airports across the America, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from playing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a release that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services remain impartial.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

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

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find methods to support federal employees unpaid during the closure.