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Several major international airports across the United States, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing government closure from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our TSA workers are working without pay,” Noem stated in the video.

Portland Reaction

The Port of Portland clarified that it “did not consent to playing the video in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “its content contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans political activities by government employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the video “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a response, adding that “Democrats will shortly recognize the significance of opening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Solution

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