Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stepped into the chaos of the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history and came out swinging for the American worker.
On Thursday, Secretary Noem appeared at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and personally handed $10,000 bonus checks to more than 20 TSA officers who refused to sit idle while the rest of Washington shut down, thanks to the Democrats.
NOEM:
Today, we are announcing that we are going to be handing out bonus checks of $10,000 to TSOs — to agents who work for TSA who serve with exemplary service.What that means is that we are not only going to continue their paychecks, like they should have received all along, but they are also going to get a bonus check for stepping up, taking on extra shifts, showing up each and every day, serving the American people, and taking seriously the mission that the Department of Homeland Security takes seriously — and that they take seriously every single day.
And that mission is keeping the American people safe while they commute across the country, do their work, conduct their business, and take care of their families.
Today, we’re going to talk about a couple of individuals who did incredible things here at the George Bush Airport — individuals who stepped up and took on extra challenges and extra hours, even though their families were dealing with difficulties because of the government shutdown.
They were examples to the rest of the individuals who worked with them, endured those hardships, and continued to shine a light on what is truly special about America.
WATCH:
I’m pleased to announce that under @POTUS Trump, we are giving a $10,000 bonus to TSA officers across our nation who went above and beyond during the Democrats’ shutdown.
They guaranteed that America wouldn’t shut down – no matter how badly the Democrats wanted average Americans… pic.twitter.com/ssYGE2EzsT
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) November 13, 2025
Massive staffing shortages at TSA and delayed flights became the visible tip of the iceberg during the shutdown.
The agents who didn’t complain, didn’t call in sick—they kept the system afloat. Meanwhile, the radical left was finger-pointing and stalling.
NOEM:
Not only a 20-year officer, but [Rico] also a member of the National Deployment Force, which means he takes on extra responsibilities at TSA. He not only fulfilled every one of his hours during this shutdown, but he was also more than willing to take on extra shifts to make sure the public didn’t experience any hardships, delays, or security concerns during this government shutdown that was facilitated by the Democrat Party.I also have Ashley next to me. Ashley continued to serve at TSA. I believe she came to work here in January and showed up as an example of an excellent employee.
But she also, during this time, was in the process of trying to buy a home when the shutdown occurred. She was going to be moving and was excited about undertaking that change in her life with her family, and that had to stop dramatically when her paycheck quit coming because of what was happening with Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party refusing to ensure that our security officials were getting their paychecks.
I’m hopeful that she will be able to go and purchase a home soon now that those paychecks have been restored, that this bonus check will be helpful to her and her family in pursuing the American dream of homeownership, and that, as we talk about her, her example of optimism and cheerfulness despite these hardships will be something the rest of our TSA employees can look to.
WATCH:
.@Sec_Noem hands out $10,000 bonus checks to Houston TSA workers who stepped up and showed up to work during the Democrat government shutdown pic.twitter.com/N5yLMiPeEb
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 13, 2025
The post Kristi Noem Hands $10,000 Bonus Checks to TSA Agents Who Didn’t Call Out Sick During the Left’s Shutdown Crisis appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.