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Several prominent international airports across the America, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to block a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the continuing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could breach federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in political campaigning.

“Democratic legislators refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA workers are unpaid,” Noem stated in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “would not agree to airing the video in its current form, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” It added that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate state law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “the video's message included partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational purpose of the PSAs typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a U.S. law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that government programs remain impartial.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, called 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 security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's language to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the importance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support federal employees unpaid during the closure.