Noem traveled to Harry Reid Worldwide Airport on Saturday, the place she unveiled a $10,000 bonus initiative for choose TSA staff. The initiative mirrored an identical bonus rollout introduced days earlier for air visitors controllers who labored with out pay throughout the current 43-day authorities shutdown — the longest in U.S. historical past. However the occasion rapidly drew consideration when Noem tried to stage a ceremonial check-handout that she instantly conceded was symbolic.
After asserting the bonuses — which had been solely out there to sure employees, not all personnel affected by the shutdown — Noem tried to provoke a celebratory distribution. “Let’s hand out some checks, ought to we?” she stated. Moments later, she clarified that the paperwork weren’t checks in any respect.
“It is a doc that verifies will probably be direct deposited into your accounts, OK?” she informed the 29 TSA employees standing behind her as she distributed the papers for cameras.
Throughout the occasion, Noem additionally introduced that the Division of Homeland Safety will make investments greater than $1 billion to modernize airport safety checkpoints throughout the nation, together with expanded coaching for frontline personnel.
“We all know it’s our accountability to not solely maintain vacationers protected, but additionally to make it possible for we’re getting them to their areas safely and in a way that’s nice and an fulfilling expertise for them and their households,” she stated.