US Airports Refuse Homeland Security PSA Blaming Democratic Party for Government Shutdown

A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have opted to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the current government closure from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Issues Raised by Aviation Officials

Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to display the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political campaigning.

“Congressional Democrats refuse to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are disrupted, and most of our TSA staff are not receiving wages,” Noem stated in the announcement.

Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the security announcement on similar grounds, saying in a release that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational nature of the public service announcements typically displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that prohibits political activities by government employees to guarantee that government programs stay unbiased.

Additional Authority Responses

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits political content.
• The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also noted that the TSA does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Criticism

Westchester County, in a statement, described the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, stating that “Democrats will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support government workers unpaid during the shutdown.