Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday announced a $1 billion nationwide upgrade to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) equipment and awarded $10,000 bonus payments to select employees.
Speaking at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota, Noem praised TSA workers for their dedication during the recent 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended earlier this month.
“What we saw during that time period was remarkable,” Noem said. “… We saw people who recognized that their purpose … was to serve people, was to go out and continue to show up for work — sometimes taking on extra shifts, taking care of other individuals, but still making sure that we were keeping people safe and keeping our security systems and standards high.”
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Noem said the $10,000 bonuses were intended to reward employees who went above and beyond during the shutdown.
“We have $10,000 bonus payments that we will be paying to each of the individuals behind us — recognizing that they are examples,” Noem said. “… We will continue to work to train every single individual under the department to do and to serve, such as they did during this last challenging and difficult time.”
The secretary also announced a $1 billion TSA modernization initiative to strengthen airport safety and allow TSA workers to do their jobs “well, accurately, efficiently.”
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“We will be putting over $1 billion into new scanning equipment, new X-ray equipment, [Advanced Imaging Technology] equipment,” she said. “… It’s been over a decade, maybe 15 years, since the department has put this kind of resources into new technologies to keep our transportation system secure, so that will be coming and being deployed over the next many months.”
Noem first announced the TSA investment a day earlier during remarks at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, saying the funds would go toward “new technology and advancements in security systems,” according to the Washington Examiner.
On Thursday, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford announced that hundreds of air traffic controllers and technicians who worked during the government shutdown would receive bonus checks.
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a statement that 776 air traffic controllers and technicians would be awarded $10,000 for their “patriotic work.”
“These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown,” Duffy said in a statement. “Democrats may not care about their financial well-being, but President Trump does.”
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
