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A number of major international airports across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to finance the federal government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” Noem said in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to airing the video in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this video would break Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, informational purpose of the public service announcements usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that government programs stay impartial.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport stated that it “refused to post the video” to stay “consistent with airport guidelines,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was working to identify ways to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.