The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to temporarily furlough about 1,400 civilian employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) due to the depletion of financial resources on October 18. This accounts for about 80% of the agency's personnel responsible for maintaining the country's nuclear capabilities.
The administration of US President Donald Trump intends to temporarily furlough most civilian employees of the agency responsible for managing the country's nuclear arsenal. This is reported by the publication Politico, according to UNN.
Details
The US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), part of the Department of Energy, will exhaust its financial resources as early as October 18.
Because of this, about 1,400 agency employees will be sent on forced leave, which the NNSA informed Congress about. Approximately 375 employees will remain at their workplaces – their activities are recognized as critically important. In total, about 80% of the agency's personnel will be temporarily out of work.
Although the NNSA is not directly responsible for the use of nuclear weapons (this is the Pentagon's function), the agency plays a key role in maintaining the US nuclear potential – it services and modernizes warheads, controls naval nuclear facilities, and implements non-proliferation programs.
Republicans warned that such furloughs could negatively affect national security. They accuse Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, of blocking temporary funding, which led to the shutdown.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers emphasized that most NNSA employees perform critically important functions and cannot simply stay home without pay.
People are about to start not getting paid. And that's when the real pain begins.
– said Rogers.
Despite the difficult situation, the Department of Energy assured that it is doing everything possible to ensure the continuous operation of strategically important units. Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to visit a nuclear facility in Nevada to assess the impact of the shutdown on the industry.
In total, starting Monday, about 1,400 NNSA employees will go on forced leave, while about 400 will continue to work.
Recall
The United States government officially announced a shutdown on October 1 after Congress and the White House failed to reach an agreement on funding. This happened for the first time since 2019, leaving about 750,000 federal employees without pay.
US Shutdown: Senate Fails to Pass Short-Term Funding Resolution for the Eighth Time15.10.25, 14:51 • 2636 views
