U.S. Nuclear Weapons Agency Faces Mass Furlough as Shutdown Deepens
The United States National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is set to furlough about 80 percent of its workforce as the prolonged government shutdown cripples critical federal operations, a top Republican lawmaker has warned.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers sounded the alarm on Friday, saying the NNSA, which oversees the nation’s nuclear weapons, is running out of funds amid the 17-day congressional standoff over federal spending.
“They will have to lay off 80 percent of their employees. These are not employees that you want to go home,” Rogers said.
“They’re managing and handling a very important strategic asset for us. They need to be at work and being paid.”
Rogers’s committee later clarified that the workers would be placed on unpaid leave, not permanently dismissed.
The NNSA, which designs, maintains, and secures America’s nuclear arsenal, employs fewer than 2,000 federal staff and manages about 60,000 contractors. The United States currently holds an estimated 5,177 nuclear warheads, with roughly 1,770 deployed, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed in an interview with USA Today on Thursday that “tens of thousands of workers critical to national security” would be affected by the shutdown, adding that furloughs could begin as early as Friday.
The political impasse in Washington has now stretched more than two weeks with no resolution in sight. Senate leaders adjourned on Thursday after the 10th failed vote to reopen the government since funding lapsed on October 1.
If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement by next Tuesday, the shutdown will extend into its 22nd day, the second-longest in U.S. history.
The record 35-day closure occurred during President Donald Trump’s first term over funding for a proposed border wall.
Democrats have urged Trump to intervene directly, arguing that his involvement is key to breaking the deadlock.
Republican leaders, however, have reportedly discouraged his participation, fearing he could broker concessions on health care subsidies, a major Democratic demand.
White House budget chief Russ Vought told reporters that the administration was seeking “north of 10,000” federal job cuts, though a judge has temporarily blocked such layoffs, calling them politically motivated.
While Trump moved on Wednesday to ensure that military personnel continued receiving pay, more than 1.4 million other federal workers remain either furloughed or working without compensation.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled a possible compromise, telling MSNBC that Democrats would be guaranteed a vote on extending health care subsidies if they agreed to reopen the government.
“I’ve said, if you need a vote, we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain,” Thune said. “At some point, Democrats have to take yes for an answer.”
