Shutdown sends 80% of US National Nuclear Security Administration employees on forced leave
About 1,400 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which manages the nuclear arsenal, are being furloughed due to the shutdown in the United States. This is reported by Politico.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that the furloughs will apply to employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration, who are “critical to the modernization of our nuclear arsenal”.
The number of NNSA employees furloughed will be about 80%. A representative of the agency said that about 400 employees will remain in service. This is a division of the Department of Energy, which, among other things, works on the safety of nuclear materials in various countries around the world, including Ukraine, where the war with Russia is ongoing.
The NNSA federal staff oversees the activities of about 60,000 contractors who are engaged in the maintenance and testing of nuclear weapons at national laboratories and other facilities in the United States. According to Wright, employees working in emergency services will not be sent on forced leave.
The minister emphasized that the situation may affect the nuclear arsenal modernization program, which is aimed at replacing outdated weapons:
“We are just gaining momentum in this area. If all employees are not paid and do not go to work, it will not be useful”.
According to an April report by the independent Congressional Budget Office, the cost of maintaining and modernizing the US nuclear forces by 2034 could increase to $946 billion, which is 25% higher than previous estimates for 2023. Nuclear weapons spending is divided between the Pentagon and the NNSA.
