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

Regulatory Issues Cited by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to support funding for the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that Oregon law bars government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, informational purpose of the PSAs usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Further Airport Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “declined to post the video” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone 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 added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a statement, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the standards we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the tone 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, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was working to find methods to support government workers working without pay during the closure.