🔗 Share this article US Air Hubs Block Kristi Noem Video Blaming Democrats for Government Shutdown Several major international air travel hubs across the US, among them Phoenix Sky Harbor, Las Vegas's Harry Reid Airport, Seattle–Tacoma, and Charlotte Douglas in NC, have chosen to block a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democratic lawmakers for the current government closure from being shown at their screening locations. Legal Issues Raised by Airport Authorities Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Washington, Portland, Charlotte, and Westchester County have declined to broadcast the footage at screening areas, stating that the overtly political messaging could breach federal and state regulations, such as the Hatch Act of 1939, which bars federal employees from participating in partisan political activity. “Democratic legislators decline to support funding for the federal government, and as a result, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA staff are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video. Portland Reaction The Port of Portland clarified that it “would not agree to displaying the video in its current form, as we consider the Hatch Act explicitly forbids use of public assets for partisan messaging.” The port further stated that Oregon law prohibits government staff from supporting or criticizing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break Oregon law. Las Vegas Position The Harry Reid airport also refused to display the security announcement on comparable reasons, saying in a release that “its content contained political messaging that did not align with the impartial, educational nature of the public service announcements usually shown at checkpoint screens” and also cited the federal act. Understanding the Hatch Act The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that forbids political activities by federal employees to ensure that public services remain unbiased. Additional Authority Rejections Phoenix airport airport explained that it “declined to display the video” to remain “consistent with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material. The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, citing “the political nature of the video.” Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that North Carolina municipal law and the airport's rules for digital content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also noted that the Transportation Security Administration lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited display monitors are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services. Westchester Objection Westchester County, in a public comment, described the PSA “inappropriate, unacceptable, and out of line with the standards we expect from our nation’s top public officials.” “The PSA makes political the effects of a government closure on security operations,” the county leader stated, adding that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes public trust.” DHS Response A Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, echoed Noem’s wording to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democratic leaders will shortly realize the significance of reopening the government.” Bipartisan Calls for Solution The Seattle authority said that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to identify ways to support government workers working without pay during the closure.