(The Hill) – The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) furloughed more than three-quarters of its staff Monday as the government nears its fourth week of a shutdown.
A Department of Energy spokesperson told The Hill that 1,400 NNSA employees will be furloughed by the end of Monday, leaving fewer than 400 working at the agency, which is in charge of overseeing the nation’s nuclear stockpile.
“Due to the Democrat shutdown, approximately 1,400 NNSA federal employees will be furloughed as of today, October 20th and nearly 400 NNSA federal employees will continue to work to support the protection of property and the safety of human life,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said NNSA’s Office of Secure Transportation will be funded for another week, through Oct. 27.
Energy Department spokesperson Ben Dietderich told CNN that this is the first time in NNSA’s 25-year history that it has furloughed employees during the shutdown.
“We are left with no choice this time. We’ve extended funding as long as we could,” Dietderich said.
“While the Energy Department and NNSA remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of America’s nuclear deterrent, the longer the shutdown lasts, the more damaging and dire the consequences will be for workforce retention and weapons modernization efforts critical to national security,” Dietderich added in the statement to CNN.
The government is on Day 20 of a shutdown, as no real negotiations appear ongoing between the two sides. Democrats continue to insist that the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year, be expanded before they lend their support to a GOP proposal to reopen the government.
Filip Timotija contributed reporting.
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