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A number of major global airports across the US, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing government closure from being shown at their screening locations.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its current form, as we consider the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational purpose of the PSAs typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that bans political activities by government employees to guarantee that public services stay unbiased.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “declined to display the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” 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 reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a statement, called the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader said, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was working to find methods to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.