No fly zone: Airports ground Kristi Noem's government shutdown video

Several airports across country are refusing to show a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming the ongoing government shutdown on congressional Democrats.Why it matters: The Trump administration released the video for airing at TSA checkpoints earlier this month, but some transportation authorities have shelved the message out of concern it violates the Hatch Act.The 1939 law that aims to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.Worth noting: Airports do regularly display videos from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, though those typically focus on safety or travel procedures, not partisan messaging, The Washington Post reports.Driving the news: Major airports and the officials that oversee their operations — including in Seattle, Portland, Charlotte and other cities — confirmed to Axios they will not display Noem's video. Kara Hansen, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland — which oversees the Portland International Airport, Hillsboro Airport and Troutdale Airport — told Axios in a statement that the Port received a request from TSA to show the message.However, she said that "we did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging." Catch up quick: Noem's video says that it is the Transportation Security Administration's priority to ensure efficient, pleasant and safe travel — but "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government."Noem continues, "because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay." She then expresses "hope" that "Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government."What they're saying: "[I]t's unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that largely echoed Noem's message.McLaughlin did not directly respond to Axios' request for a response to local authorities opting against showing the video.State of play: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport spokesperson Jon Brodsky confirmed to Axios that the airport "declined" to share the video, saying "airport policy" does "not permit political content."A representative of Charlotte Douglas International Airport similarly referenced airport policy for digital content, as well as North Carolina municipal law, saying in a statement to Axios that those restrictions "do not permit the referenced video."Additionally, the spokesperson added that TSA does not own monitors at the airport's checkpoints. A spokesperson for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), which operates Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Niagara Falls International Airport, also confirmed it would not air the video on airport-controlled screens. "The NFTA's long standing policy and codified regulations pertaining to public service advertising prohibit politically partisan messaging in its facilities," a spokesperson said.Westchester County, New York, Executive Ken Jenkins slammed the DHS request to display the video as "inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation's top public officials." He said the county's airport would not play it.A Port of Seattle spokesperson also said it would not play the video at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport "due to the political nature of the content." Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is not displaying the video either, CNN reported.The big picture: Staffing shortages have plagued airports amid the shutdown. Under a lapse in appropriations, thousands of TSA workers and air traffic controllers must work without pay, per agency shutdown procedures.Go deeper: Trump administration pushes OOO emails blaming shutdown on Democrats

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