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A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have decided to block a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations.

Regulatory Issues Cited by Aviation Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to display the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are working without pay,” Noem stated in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority clarified that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay non-partisan.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport 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 operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, citing “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its few digital screens are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“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 “undermines public trust.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will shortly recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to assist federal employees working without pay during the shutdown.