Senators Demand Removal of Partisan Videos at TSA Checkpoints, Citing Federal Law

Strategic Insights -

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and 14 Senate Democrats have called out U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for potentially violating federal law by asking airports to play partisan videos at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints regarding shutdown staffing and delays. The senators demanded that DHS immediately remove the videos and provide information about the resources used to create and disseminate them.

Key Takeaways:

  • The senators alleged that the videos are a blatant violation of federal law, specifically Section 715 of P.L. 118-47, which prohibits using federal funding for partisan political activities.
  • The videos are also likely a violation of the Hatch Act and the Anti-Lobbying Act, as they contain overtly political messaging.
  • The senators stated that the videos are an insult to the thousands of TSA employees serving in the Department of Homeland Security, who are being asked to work without pay.
  • The videos were created and disseminated at the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and the senators demand that she immediately remove them from all TSA checkpoints.
  • The senators requested a complete breakdown of the cost of creating and disseminating the videos, including the funding sources used to cover the costs, who approved their use, and when the use of these funds was approved.
  • The senators also requested information about who in the Trump Administration was consulted on the decision to create the video, and if outside consultants or other individuals not employed by the Department of Homeland Security were involved in the production and dissemination of the video.

Statistics:

  • The videos were played at airports across the country on October 9, 2025.
  • The senators have voted seven times in the last two months to provide funding for the government and lower health care costs for Americans around the country, but the Republican-controlled Senate has repeatedly rejected the measure.

Sources:

  • U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and 14 Senate Democrats
  • Letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, dated October 9, 2025
  • P.L. 118-47, Section 715
  • Hatch Act and Anti-Lobbying Act