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Several prominent global airports across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from participating in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political aims.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids political activities by government employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the political nature 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 monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Response

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

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