🔗 Share this article US Air Hubs Reject Homeland Security PSA Faulting Democrats for Federal Closure A number of prominent global air travel hubs across the United States, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have opted to prevent a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that faults Democrats for the continuing government closure from airing at their security checkpoints. Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Officials Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, 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 federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in partisan actions. “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video. Portland Response The Port of Portland explained that it “did not consent to playing the PSA in its present version, as we maintain the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political aims.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any political party and that agreeing to play this content would violate Oregon law. Harry Reid International Position The Harry Reid International Airport also declined to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “its content included partisan statements that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational nature of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act. Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain non-partisan. Additional Authority Rejections Phoenix Sky Harbor airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content. The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly declined, pointing to “the partisan tone of the content.” Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its few digital screens are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements. Westchester Objection The county, in a public comment, called the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials.” “The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.” DHS Response A DHS official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to blame “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon realize the importance of opening the government.” Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown” and was striving to find methods to assist government workers unpaid during the closure.