The longest government shutdown in history is over—a period marked by extreme chaos at airports, cancelled flights, and unpaid workers.
But Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, on Thursday promised that TSA agents who continued to work through the shutdown and were unpaid for more than a month will receive a $10,000 bonus. Some TSA agents had not been showing up for work since they were unpaid due to the government shutdown. TSA agents, along with other federal workers who went unpaid during the government shutdown, are expected to receive their back pay on Nov. 19, according to an internal White House memo obtained by Semafor.
“[TSA agents] guaranteed that America wouldn’t shut down—no matter how badly the Democrats wanted average Americans to feel the pain,” Noem said in a statement. “Their unsung patriotism deserves recognition. President Trump and I are so grateful for these patriots.”
The catch is, though, bonuses will only go to a select number of TSA agents who went “above and beyond,” according to Noem’s statement. The Transportation Security Administration employs about 65,000 workers, of which more than 50,000 are transportation security officers.
Noem did not make clear, however, exactly how many of these TSA officers will receive a bonus. But a post on X from the Department of Homeland Security posted Thursday said “around 47,000 frontline TSA officers continued to do an excellent job working throughout the shutdown despite the Democrats holding up their paychecks.” A White House official told MSNBC it would amount to bonuses for “several thousand” agents.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it would pay for the bonuses using carryover funds from FY 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security declined comment to Fortune about exactly how many TSA agents would receive a bonus.
Bonuses so far
Noem distributed some of the checks in person at a press conference at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Thursday. She said agents who “served with exemplary service” during the 43-day shutdown, including “taking on extra shifts” and “showing up each and every day” earned them the bonuses.
She highlighted two TSA officers in particular: Reiko Walker and Ashley Richardson. Walker has been an officer for 20 years and is part of TSA’s National Deployment force, and has had perfect attendance during the shutdown. He also filled in on extra shifts, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Richardson is another officer who had perfect attendance during the shutdown.
“After months of excelling at her work, she planned on moving into her own place but had to cancel that move due to the Democrats’ shutdown,” according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” he posted on social media.
This move, though, begs the question of why only TSA agents would receive a bonus. There was already an extreme shortage of air traffic controllers, which was only worsened by the government shutdown. President Donald Trump had suggested earlier this week a similar bonus for air traffic controllers who had been showing up to work.
The Department of Homeland Security also declined to comment about whether air traffic controllers would receive a bonus.
These federal agents, on average, earn about $62,000, up by more than 46% in 2019 when they made about $43,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During a government shutdown in 2019, many TSA workers quit their jobs, leaving for positions with comparable wages in fast food and construction, according to a Reuters report.
“A lot of people just said the hell with it and quit and went and got other jobs,” Neal Gosman, treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 899 in Minnesota, told Reuters. “People are more invested in the job now because of the pay.”
