Noem doubles her salary with cabinet role

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Just last year former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was under consideration as Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential running mate. But those aspirations disappeared after Noem revealed in her book that she shot her dog Cricket. She also failed to answer questions about claiming to meet North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un.

But her loyalty to President Trump paid off and he named her to the powerful position of Secretary of Homeland Security.

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The official White House list of cabinet secretaries describes Noem as quote “a rancher, farmer, small business owner, and New York Times bestselling author. On Jan. 25, Noem was sworn in as Secretary, she then addressed the staff about her vision for the department.

“We woke up this morning more blessed than 99% of the people in this country because we woke up in the United States of America. We woke up in a country where we get to exercise our freedoms, and that responsibility has been laid at our feet,” Noem told the crowd of workers on Jan. 25.

As Secretary of Homeland Security, Noem makes $246,000 a year, more than double the salary she collected as Governor of South Dakota. Cabinet secretaries do not get a salary for life, but while in office they do get a long list of perks and a generous employee compensation package.

Although many of President Trump’s picks are financially well off already, they can receive student loan forgiveness as a “person in public service.” Noem received a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in political science from South Dakota State University in 2012 while serving as a U.S. Representative. As a cabinet member Noem qualifies for 11 paid holidays, child care and commuter subsidies, paid parental leave up to 12 weeks, health and life insurance and retirement benefits she can contribute to.

Noem’s job as a cabinet secretary is to run the Homeland Security Department, serving as the public face while overseeing implementation of the president’s policies. In that role, she provides information and advice to the president. Noem’s future political ambitions are unknown but the biggest advantage to being a cabinet member appears to be the ability to command a higher salary when they return to the private sector.