🔗 Share this article US Air Hubs Block Homeland Security PSA Blaming Democratic Party for Federal Closure A number of prominent international air travel hubs across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have chosen to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democratic lawmakers for the continuing government closure from playing at their checkpoint areas. Regulatory Concerns Raised by Aviation Authorities Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to show the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity. “Democratic legislators refuse to finance the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are disrupted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video. The Port of Portland Response The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law explicitly forbids use of public assets for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars government staff from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this content would violate Oregon law. Harry Reid International Position Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to display the TSA video on similar grounds, noting in a statement that “the video's message contained partisan statements that did not align with the impartial, educational purpose of the public service announcements typically shown at security checkpoints” 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 federal employees to ensure that government programs remain unbiased. Additional Authority Responses Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “refused to post the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow political content. The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the content.” Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that state local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements. Westchester Objection Westchester County, in a statement, called the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.” “The PSA politicizes the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader said, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.” Homeland Security Response A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the significance of opening the federal government.” Bipartisan Calls for Resolution The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to resolve the government shutdown” and was working to find ways to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.