American Air Hubs Reject Homeland Security Video Faulting Democrats for Federal Closure

Several prominent international airports across the America, including Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from airing at their screening locations.

Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Officials

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan actions.

“Democrats in Congress decline to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are unpaid,” Noem stated in the announcement.

The Port of Portland Response

The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its present version, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, stating in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.

Explaining the Hatch Act

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

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix airport international airport explained that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “in line with airport guidelines,” which prohibits partisan material.
• The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester Objection

Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”

“The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.”

DHS Response

A DHS official, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated the Secretary's wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the federal government.”

Cross-Party Appeals for Solution

The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was working to identify ways to assist government workers working without pay during the closure.