Kristi Noem awards TSA bonuses, announces $1 billion technology upgrade
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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 43-day federal government shutdown that ended earlier this month.
“What we saw during that period was extraordinary,” Noem said. “… We’ve seen people who understand that their purpose … is to serve people, to go out and continue to come to work, sometimes taking extra shifts, taking care of other individuals, but still making sure we keep people safe and keep our safety systems and standards high.”
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Speaking at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota, Noem praised TSA workers for their dedication during the 43-day federal government shutdown that ended earlier this month. (US Department of Homeland Security)
Noem said the $10,000 bonuses are intended to reward employees who have performed above expectations during the shutdown.
“We have bonus payments of $10,000 that we will pay to each of the people behind us — we recognize those are examples,” Noem said. “… We will continue to work to ensure that each individual in our department is trained to serve and serve as they have during this challenging and troubling time.”
The secretary also announced a $1 billion TSA modernization initiative to strengthen airport security and enable TSA employees to do their jobs “well, accurately and efficiently.”
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Travelers pass through the TSA security checkpoint at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 7, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
“We’re going to invest more than $1 billion in new scanning equipment, new x-ray equipment, [Advanced Imaging Technology] equipment,” he said. “… It’s been more than a decade, perhaps 15, since the Department has devoted such resources to new technologies to keep our transportation system safe, so it will arrive and be available in the coming months.”
Noem first announced the TSA investment a day earlier in a speech at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, saying the funds would go toward “advances in new technology and security systems.” Washington Comptroller.
On Thursday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford announced that hundreds of air traffic controllers and technicians working during the government shutdown will receive bonus checks.
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U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 22, 2025. (Ronda Churchill/AP Photo)
The Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a statement that 776 air traffic controllers and technicians will be given $10,000 awards for their “patriotic work.”
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“These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout quarantine,” Duffy said in a statement. he said. “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.
