Several prominent international air travel hubs across the United States, among them Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the ongoing government closure from being shown at their screening locations.
Legal Issues Raised by Airport Officials
Airport authorities in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westchester County have declined to show the footage at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in partisan actions.
“Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are disrupted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” Noem stated in the announcement.
The Port of Portland Reaction
The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the PSA in its present version, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break state law.
Harry Reid International Statement
Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a statement that “the video's message included political messaging that did not align with the neutral, educational nature of the PSAs usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the Hatch Act.
Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations
The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids political activities by government employees to ensure that public services stay impartial.
Further Authority Rejections
- Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to display the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport guidelines,” which prohibits political content.
- The Port of Seattle, which manages Sea-Tac airport, also declined, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The airport 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 County Criticism
Westchester County, in a public comment, described the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.”
“The public service announcement makes political the impacts of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader said, adding that the message was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.”
Homeland Security Response
A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
Bipartisan Calls for Solution
The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the government shutdown” and was striving to find ways to assist government workers unpaid during the shutdown.
