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Several key global airports across the United States, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from airing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Concerns Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” Noem stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to airing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this content would break state law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “its content contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans political activities by federal employees to guarantee that government programs stay non-partisan.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

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

“The public service announcement makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A DHS official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will soon realize the importance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the government shutdown” and was striving to find ways to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.