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A number of key global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport 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 government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Legal Concerns Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay,” Noem remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to play this content would violate state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a release that “the video's message included political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans political activities by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain non-partisan.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas 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 “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Response

A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to support federal employees unpaid during the shutdown.