American Air Hubs Block Homeland Security PSA Faulting Democrats for Government Shutdown

Several major global air travel hubs across the America, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to restrict a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown from playing at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democratic legislators decline to finance the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our operations are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” Noem remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we maintain the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to broadcast this video would break Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a release that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits partisan actions by federal employees to guarantee that public services stay impartial.

Additional Airport Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor airport stated that it “refused to display the video” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte airport said that state municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are designated for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

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

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.