American Air Hubs Reject Homeland Security PSA Blaming Democrats for Government Shutdown

Several major international airports across the US, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have opted to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the ongoing federal government shutdown from being shown at their security checkpoints.

Regulatory Concerns Cited by Airport Authorities

Airport authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester, New York have refused to broadcast the video content at screening areas, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress refuse to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay,” the Secretary remarked in the video.

The Port of Portland Reaction

The Portland airport authority explained that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate Oregon law.

Las Vegas Position

Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the neutral, educational nature of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also referenced the federal act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that bans partisan actions by federal employees to ensure that public services stay impartial.

Further Authority Responses

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the partisan tone of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport's rules for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few display monitors are reserved for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements.

Westchester County Objection

The county, in a statement, called the PSA “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent 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 executive said, adding that the message was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

Homeland Security Response

A DHS official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democrats will shortly recognize the importance of opening the government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution

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