OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
2:35 PM – Thursday, November 13, 2025
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem awarded $10,000 bonus checks to a number of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers who continued working without pay during the 43-day government shutdown.
On Thursday, Noem awarded more than 20 Houston TSA employees bonus checks of $10,000 each at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, thanking them for exemplary work while the government failed to maintain their pay.
President Donald Trump had already recommended earlier this week that “GREAT PATRIOT” air traffic controllers be awarded $10,000 for working through the shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later emphasized that he couldn’t agree more in relation to the workers being rewarded the bonuses on top of their allotted back pay.
Although air traffic controllers (ATCs) have not yet received $10,000 bonus checks, at least as of Thursday, similar bonuses for ATCs are anticipated as well.
“Every single one of these individuals served with exemplary service, which means they were an example of not only taking seriously the security concerns and measures that TSA has to every single day and the Department of Homeland Security, but also, they went above and beyond. They helped individuals, they served extra shifts, they helped with transportation of people getting back and forth to work, other challenges that families may have,” Noem told the press on Thursday.
Advertisement“They were all examples of what we need,” she said, “and we will be continuing to not only recognize employees across the country, but we will be looking at every single TSA official that helped serve during this government shutdown and do what we can to recognize that and help them financially with a bonus check to get them and their family back on their feet.”
The DHS Secretary then addressed each of the officers around her, shaking their hands while handing out their checks.
“I’m also incredibly grateful for everyone in this community, this airport, the private companies that stepped up and helped support these families during the government shutdown when their paychecks stopped,” Noem said. “And I just can’t say enough about the partnerships that we’ve been able to build in light of this tragic situation when the Democrats shut down the government, that we still saw the best of America. We saw people come together and support each other, take care of each other, and go above and beyond to make sure that the mission of the Department of Homeland Security was fulfilled.”
The government shutdown forced approximately 50,000 TSA officers and 13,000 air traffic controllers to work without pay. Many even needed to get second jobs to make ends meet — causing staffing shortages, flight delays, and cancellations at busy airports across the U.S.
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