Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced $10,000 bonuses for Transportation Security Administration agents who exhibited “exemplary service” while continuing to work during the government shutdown. Noem’s announcement took place at a Houston airport and comes on the tail end of a 43-day government shutdown.
A Trump administration official told MSNBC that the bonuses will be awarded to “several thousand” agents who were given high performance marks by their supervisors.
President Donald Trump recommended a similar bonus payout for air traffic controllers who essentially had perfect attendance, never “calling out sick” during the shutdown. The specific stipulations — whether 100% attendance during the shutdown is required for TSA agents to receive the bonus or not — is unclear.
The bonus money provided to agents will come from carry over funds from fiscal year 2025, according to an internal memo at the Department of Homeland Security, obtained by MSNBC.
