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A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from airing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Raised by Airport Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are unpaid,” Noem said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this video would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the significance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.