🔗 Share this article

Several major global air travel hubs across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to prevent a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Raised by Airport Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our TSA workers are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to playing the video in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

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

Further Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “refused to post the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International 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 rules for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was working to find methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.