🔗 Share this article US Air Hubs Block Homeland Security Video Faulting Democratic Party for Government Shutdown Several major international airports across the United States, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames Democratic lawmakers for the continuing government closure from playing at their security checkpoints. Legal Issues Cited by Airport Authorities Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have refused to broadcast the video content at security checkpoints, stating that the clearly partisan content could violate federal and state regulations, including the Hatch Act, which bars government workers from participating in political campaigning. “Democratic legislators refuse to fund the federal government, and as a result, many of our functions are affected, and most of our Transportation Security Administration staff are unpaid,” the Secretary stated in the video. The Port of Portland Reaction The Port of Portland explained that it “would not agree to airing the PSA in its current form, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for partisan messaging.” It added that Oregon law bars public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that agreeing to play this content would break Oregon law. Harry Reid International Position Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport also declined to show the security announcement on comparable reasons, noting in a release that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the neutral, informational nature of the public service announcements usually shown at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act. Explaining the Hatch Act Regulations The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids partisan actions by government employees to ensure that public services stay unbiased. Additional Airport Responses Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport stated that it “declined to post the PSA” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which prohibits partisan material. The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the partisan tone of the video.” Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina local regulations and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA does not own any monitors at its checkpoints and that its limited display monitors are reserved for wayfinding, flight updates, and revenue-generating services. Westchester County Objection The county, in a statement, described the video “unacceptable, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our federal leaders.” “The PSA makes political the impacts of a government closure on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “undermines customer confidence.” DHS Response A DHS assistant secretary, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “political gamesmanship” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly recognize the importance of reopening the government.” Bipartisan Appeals for Solution The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the government shutdown” and was striving to find ways to support government workers working without pay during the shutdown.