The director of the Secret Service dismissed the idea that the size of President Trump’s family and its frequent travel has caused more than 1,000 agents to hit their salary caps and overtime allowances this year.
In a statement published Monday, Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles said the Secret Service has the funding needed to “meet all current mission requirements” through the end of the fiscal year and pay employees for overtime within its statutory pay caps.
“This issue is not one that can be attributed to the current administration’s protection requirements alone, but rather has been an ongoing issue for nearly a decade due to an overall increase in operational tempo,” Alles said.
Still, the agency estimated that roughly 1,100 employees have hit the salary caps and overtime allowances mandated by federal law.
Alles said the agency experienced a similar situation in 2016, but Congress allowed Secret Service employees to exceed the statutory caps. The agency has worked with the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump administration and Congress to find a legislative solution, Alles said in his statement.
In an interview with USA Today published Monday, Alles said more than 1,000 agents, or one-third of the Secret Service workforce, have hit statutory pay caps.
“We have them working all night long; we’re sending them out on the road all the time,” Alles told USA Today. ‘There are no quick fixes, but over the long term, I’ve got to give them a better balance here.”
The workload appears to be due in part to the number of Trump family members that require protection, as well as the frequency of their travel. Under the Trump administration, 42 people have Secret Service protection, including 18 family members. The Obama administration had 31 protectees.
“The president has a large family, and our responsibility is required in law,” Alles said. “I can’t change that. I have no flexibility.”
