🔗 Share this article American Air Hubs Reject Kristi Noem PSA Blaming Democratic Party for Federal Closure A number of major international airports across the America, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina, have chosen to block a public service announcement from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the continuing federal government shutdown from being shown at their checkpoint areas. Regulatory Concerns Cited by Aviation Officials Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could contravene state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from participating in political campaigning. “Congressional Democrats refuse to fund the U.S. government, and as a result, many of our activities are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration workers are not receiving wages,” the Secretary remarked in the announcement. The Port of Portland Reaction The Port of Portland noted that it “did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this video would break Oregon law. Las Vegas Position The Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the TSA video on comparable reasons, stating in a statement that “its content contained partisan statements that did not align with the neutral, informational purpose of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act. Understanding the Hatch Act Regulations The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids partisan actions by government employees to guarantee that public services remain impartial. Further Airport Rejections Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “refused to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow political content. The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also declined, citing “the political nature of the content.” Charlotte airport said that state local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The authority also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any monitors at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, flight updates, and paid advertisements. Westchester County Objection Westchester County, in a statement, called the PSA “inappropriate, improper, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.” “The public service announcement politicizes the effects of a federal government shutdown on security operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines public trust.” DHS Response A Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, an agency representative, echoed the Secretary's wording to blame “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.” Bipartisan Calls for Resolution The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “urge cooperative actions to resolve the federal closure” and was working to find ways to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.