🔗 Share this article

A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the US, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to prevent a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from being shown at their checkpoint areas.

Legal Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars government workers from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democratic legislators refuse to finance the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement.

Portland Response

The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to airing the video in its present version, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that Oregon law prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate Oregon law.

Harry Reid International Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, stating in a release that “its content included partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, informational nature of the public service announcements typically shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids political activities by government employees to guarantee that public services stay impartial.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to display the PSA” to remain “in line with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the political nature of the content.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the referenced video.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Criticism

The county, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.”

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

Homeland Security Response

A DHS assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a response, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of reopening the federal government.”

Bipartisan Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.