🔗 Share this article US Airports Reject Homeland Security Video Faulting Democratic Party for Government Shutdown A number of prominent international airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have decided to restrict a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the continuing federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations. Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Authorities Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to display the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could contravene state and federal law, including the Hatch Act, which prohibits government workers from participating in partisan actions. “Democratic legislators decline to finance the U.S. government, and because of this, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are unpaid,” Noem remarked in the announcement. The Port of Portland Response The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes.” The port further stated that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from supporting or criticizing any political party and that consenting to broadcast this video would violate state law. Las Vegas Position Las Vegas's Harry Reid airport also declined to display the TSA video on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “its content included political messaging that did not align with the impartial, informational purpose of the PSAs usually displayed at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act. Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to ensure that government programs remain non-partisan. Further Airport Responses Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “declined to post the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits political content. The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the video.” Charlotte Douglas International Airport clarified that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not permit the referenced video.” The authority also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its few digital screens are reserved for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements. Westchester Criticism The county, in a statement, described the video “unacceptable, improper, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our nation’s top public officials.” “The public service announcement politicizes the impacts of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the tone was “overly alarming” and “undermines customer confidence.” Homeland Security Response A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon realize the significance of opening the federal government.” Cross-Party Appeals for Resolution The Port of Seattle commented that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to find ways to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.