🔗 Share this article

Several major international airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the continuing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Airport Authorities

Airport officials in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have declined to display the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from engaging in political campaigning.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our functions are affected, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” the Secretary said in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its present version, as we consider the federal law clearly prohibits use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would break state law.

Harry Reid International Position

The Harry Reid airport also declined to display the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, educational nature of the PSAs usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations

The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that government programs stay unbiased.

Additional Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Sea-Tac airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.”
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are reserved for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester Objection

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

“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county executive said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.”

DHS Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.”

Cross-Party Calls for Resolution

The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge bipartisan efforts to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find ways to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.