Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday promised Federal Emergency Management Agency employees will receive all of their backpay within the next six days. 

FEMA workers have been among DHS employees whose pay has been affected by the 52-day partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history. Mullin referenced the debacle during a trip this week to North Carolina, where FEMA is continuing to oversee disaster relief efforts roughly 1 1/2 years after Hurricane Helene devastated the state, killing 107 people. Mullin’s trek to North Carolina marked the first visit of his tenure as newly christened DHS chief, setting the state apart as a priority for the Trump administration.