🔗 Share this article US Air Hubs Refuse Kristi Noem Video Faulting Democrats for Federal Closure Several major international airports across the US, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas Airport in NC, have decided to restrict a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from airing at their security checkpoints. Legal Issues Cited by Aviation Officials Airport officials in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have refused to show the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the overtly political messaging could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits government workers from engaging in partisan political activity. “Democratic legislators refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” the Secretary stated in the video. Portland Response The Portland airport authority clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its present version, as we consider the federal law explicitly forbids utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that state regulations in Oregon prohibits public employees from promoting or opposing any political party and that consenting to play this content would break state law. Harry Reid International Statement Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also refused to show the security announcement on similar grounds, noting in a statement that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the impartial, educational purpose of the public service announcements usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the Hatch Act. Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations The Hatch Act of 1939 is a U.S. law that forbids political activities by federal employees to guarantee that government programs remain non-partisan. Additional Airport Rejections Phoenix airport international airport stated that it “declined to display the video” to stay “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material. The Port of Seattle, which operates Sea-Tac airport, also declined, citing “the partisan tone of the video.” Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina local regulations and the airport’s policy for digital content “do not permit the video in question.” The authority also added that the Transportation Security Administration does not own any screens at its checkpoints and that its few display monitors are designated for wayfinding, travel information, and paid advertisements. Westchester Criticism Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “unacceptable, unacceptable, and out of line with the standards 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 message was “overly alarming” and “erodes customer confidence.” DHS Response A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated the Secretary's language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a response, adding that “Democratic leaders will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.” Bipartisan Calls for Resolution The Port of Seattle said that it continued to “encourage bipartisan efforts to end the federal closure” and was working to find ways to assist federal employees unpaid during the shutdown.