🔗 Share this article

Several prominent international air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the ongoing government closure from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Officials

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

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are unpaid,” the Secretary said in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its present version, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits 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 broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Position

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, informational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

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

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “declined to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

Westchester 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 said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find methods to assist government workers working without pay during the shutdown.