🔗 Share this article

A number of key global air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids government workers from participating in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” Noem said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its current form, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on similar grounds, stating in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids partisan actions by government employees to ensure that public services stay unbiased.

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a public comment, called the video “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the importance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to find methods to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.