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A number of key international air travel hubs across the United States, including Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to display the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a release that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by government employees to ensure that public services stay non-partisan.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its checkpoints and that its limited digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a public comment, described the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the standards we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

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

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the importance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.