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Several major global air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the ongoing government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the political statements could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats decline to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA staff are working without pay,” Noem said in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs typically shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that prohibits partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

The county, in a public comment, called the video “unacceptable, improper, 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 leader stated, noting that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democrats will shortly realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.