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A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from participating in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs usually shown at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “refused to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “unacceptable, improper, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s language to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

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