Three Transportation Security Administration employees described the personal and family hardships they and their households endured during a 43-day federal government shutdown and thanked colleagues, passengers and community donors at a recognition event at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.

Alex Garcia, introduced as a supervisor in the coordination center at TSA Minnesota, said he has been with TSA for 14 years and that during the shutdown he "sacrificed a lot of personal time with my family, friends" to ensure checkpoint security continued. Garcia said his Marine Corps service influenced his decision to continue public service after the military and he thanked his spouse and children for their support.

TSO Steve Grubb said the shutdown affected his family deeply: his wife, a Department of Housing and Urban Development employee, was not receiving a paycheck while also undergoing cancer treatment. Grubb thanked passengers and coworkers for donated gas cards and assistance, and said he was "super grateful" for the support during a time when commutes and household expenses were especially difficult.

Jonathan Pringle, who said he joined TSA about 18 months earlier, described managing a large household — he was introduced as having 13 children and two grandchildren — and the family's grief after the death of his eldest child, which made the holiday period especially difficult. Pringle said donations and the announced $10,000 payment "is gonna help out a lot for financials that haven't been able to make" and expressed appreciation for community support.

All three employees were brought forward for onstage recognition immediately before agency leaders announced the bonuses. Their remarks were presented as personal testimony in support of the agency's decision to recognize individual employees for service during the shutdown; no formal grievance or policy change was announced at the event.