WASHINGTON: The US agency responsible for safeguarding the country’s nuclear arsenal began furloughing most of its staff as the government shutdown stretched into its fourth week, with yet another congressional vote to end the standoff failing.
Roughly 1,400 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) were placed on unpaid leave on Monday, while around 400 workers will continue to perform essential duties related to safety and asset protection, the Department of Energy said. The NNSA oversees the design, production, and security of the United States’ 5,177 nuclear warheads and manages a network of 60,000 contractors.
According to CNN, the furloughs will immediately affect nuclear weapons assembly and maintenance sites, including the Pantex facility in Texas and Y-12 in Tennessee.
The shutdown — the longest full government closure in US history — has paralyzed federal operations and placed renewed strain on public services. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the impasse, while House and Senate Democrats accused Republicans of holding up a funding bill unless health care subsidies for 24 million Americans were renewed.
A Senate vote on a resolution to reopen the government failed for the 11th time on Monday evening. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the prolonged shutdown poses a “serious risk” to national security, particularly with disruptions to nuclear oversight operations.
As hundreds of thousands of federal employees face missed paychecks this week, pressure is mounting on lawmakers to find a compromise and prevent further damage to the country’s economy and defense infrastructure.
