🔗 Share this article

Several major international airports across the US, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from airing at their screening locations.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids government workers from participating in partisan political activity.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” Noem said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to play this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “its content included political messaging that did not align with the impartial, informational purpose of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that public services remain non-partisan.

Additional Airport Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said 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 Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “inappropriate, improper, and out of line with the standards we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county executive stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes public trust.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the significance of reopening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to identify ways to support federal employees working without pay during the closure.