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Several major global air travel hubs across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from participating in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA staff are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this content would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational purpose of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that public services remain unbiased.

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

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

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to identify ways to assist federal employees unpaid during the closure.