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A number of key international airports across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from playing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” Noem stated in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to display the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to identify methods to assist federal employees unpaid during the closure.