As the nation’s airports gradually recover from the disruptions they saw — and continue to see — because of the government shutdown, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday that some Transportation Security Agency (TSA) officers “who went above and beyond” during the 6-week funding lapse will get a $10,000 bonus.
TSA workers were among the hundreds of thousands of essential employees required to work through the shutdown without pay, and as the shutdown dragged on and the financial strains of missed paychecks grew, absences spiked.
It wasn’t immediately clear which workers now qualify for bonuses. “TSA employs approximately 50,000 transportation security officers, meaning a bonus for every officer would cost roughly $500 million,” the Federal News Network noted. Noem said at a Houston news conference that that bonuses will reward officers “for stepping up, taking on extra shifts, for showing up each and every day, for serving the American people.” DHS said that the bonuses will be paid from carryover funds from fiscal year 2025.
The announcement comes after President Trump in a social media post on Monday lashed out at air traffic controllers who took time off and promised bonuses to others. “All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!” Trump wrote. “Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’ For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”
Flight disruptions are decreasing, but there were still more than 2,300 delays and more than 630 cancelations at U.S. airports on Friday.