The director’s gift comes as TSA workers continue to be impacted by the partial government shutdown
Credit: Prince Williams/FilmMagic; Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Tyler Perry gave $1,000 Visa gift cards to approximately 250 TSA officers working at Atlanta’s airport during the partial government shutdown
- PEOPLE confirmed the director’s generous gift “went through a legal process” to be approved by TSA, according to a union leader
- TSA officers have been working without pay amid the shutdown, causing many who couldn’t afford to do so to quit or call out
Tyler Perry is showing his appreciation for TSA workers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport with one very kind gesture.
Thousands of TSA officers have been working without pay due to the partial government shutdown, which began on Feb. 14. After funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was impacted, some TSA employees have been put in dire situations, like having to sleep in their cars or sell their blood or plasma to make ends meet. Over 480 officers who couldn't afford to continue to work without pay have quit.
As employees navigate these challenging times, the Atlanta-based director, 56, gave 250 TSA officers working at Hartsfield–Jackson on Friday, March 27 each $1,000 Visa gift cards, PEOPLE can confirm.
Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty
Aaron Barker — the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 554 union, representing TSA officers in Georgia — confirms Perry’s gift to officers went through a legal process, as there are specific guidelines when it comes to giving gift cards to federal employees.
“It went through the legal process through TSA,” Barker tells PEOPLE.
Since the shutdown began, TSA officers have collectively missed nearly $1 billion in paychecks, the agency said earlier this week.
The situation has also led to a 40 to 50% callout rate among officers at major airports who “simply cannot afford to report to work,” resulting in extremely long security lines and wait times at the busiest hubs across the country.
Credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In the early morning of Friday, March 27, the U.S. Senate voted on a measure to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including TSA, however, the proposal had to get through the House before the partial government shutdown could end. According to the Washington Post, the House rejected the funding bill.
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However, President Trump announced Thursday, March 26 on Truth Social that he would sign an executive order to pay TSA officers, directing newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to “immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation.”
According to the Post, Trump’s order would use preexisting funds to pay the agents, and TSA employees could start seeing paychecks as early as Monday, March 30.
Read the full article here
