🔗 Share this article

Several prominent global air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators refuse to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority explained that it “would not agree to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to play this video would violate state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “the video's message included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that government programs remain unbiased.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader said, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.