SECRET SERVICE TO PROVIDE TWO TAILORED SUITS FOR EACH NEW PROTECTIVE DETAIL AGENT

The Secret Service will begin providing two navy-blue tailored suits to newly trained agents assigned to protective details, a change that officials and people familiar with the decision described as an effort to reduce out-of-pocket costs for new agents and potentially aid recruiting.

The move comes as the Department of Homeland Security operates under a partial shutdown.

Under a proposed five-year contract published last week by the agency, each new graduate of protective detail training will receive two navy-blue tailored suits with name embroidery inside the jacket.

People familiar with the decision stated that the initiative began after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressed dissatisfaction with how protective details were dressed in suits agents purchased for themselves.

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, disputed that account, saying the change “does not have to do with optics” and instead aims to address inequities for the “men and women who are just starting their career,” according to a CNN report.

McLaughlin noted that the Secret Service supplies clothing to its uniformed division, including protective vests and dark police-style clothing, but agents assigned to protective details must buy their own suits.

A former senior law enforcement official stated that the agency has not previously provided free suits to plainclothes agents and that agents historically could not seek reimbursement for suits.

Another person familiar with the decision said DHS leadership also viewed agency-provided suits as a potential recruiting incentive by easing what can be a financial burden. A separate source indicated that the Secret Service had to find funding for the suits within its current budget.

Some veterans have expressed surprise at the spending. “With all the resource challenges the Secret Service has, this seems like an odd expenditure,” said CNN contributor Jon Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent.

A Secret Service official stated that agents typically earn between $70,000 and $90,000 per year, including benefits.

A federal contracting notice posted on sam.gov on February 11 describes the requirement as tailored dress suits to support training at the James J. Rowley Training Center and calls for two navy-blue suits per student with name embroidery on the inside of the jacket.

The proposal arrives as DHS remains in a partial shutdown tied to negotiations over immigration enforcement policy and funding. DHS has said many employees continue working during a lapse in appropriations, and The Associated Press reported that the shutdown began February 14 and has required many DHS workers to remain on the job without pay.