Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem awarded $10,000 checks to two dozen TSA agents during a news conference at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport Thursday, saying the payments recognize employees who went “above and beyond” while working without pay during the shutdown.
Noem said the department will continue awarding bonuses to TSA employees who showed “exceptional” performance, noting that eligibility isn’t limited to those with perfect attendance. She added that some officers went above and beyond by giving co-workers rides to work.
One of the recipients at the news conference was an officer Noem praised for reporting to all of his shifts and volunteering for extra ones to help cover staffing shortages.
A DHS bulletin explained how the bonuses were being funded:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is paying for these bonuses using carryover funds from Fiscal Year 2025. This funding is available thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, enabling DHS to save the American taxpayer over $13.2 billion since President Trump returned to office.
Denver7's Veronica Acosta spoke with Angela Grana, a regional vice president for TSA, who said the bonuses were announced as TSA officers nationwide were praying they'd be paid for their work during the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
She said $10,000 is a meaningful amount – but that there is still confusion about who will receive the bonus.
"How do you choose 55,000 [officers] to to to receive $10,000? We all swore the same oath. We all put our lives on the line for the same thing," she said.
"I believe that they want to do the right thing and they want to reward us," she continued. "Ten thousand dollars is a huge amount of money, and if it is going to happen, I hope it gets to happen to the ones that really need it."
