Washington — The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee warned Friday that the federal agency that oversees the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons is planning to implement deep staff reductions as the government shutdown continues.
During House Republicans' daily press conference at the Capitol, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama said lawmakers were informed Thursday night that "carry-over" funding that has been used by the National Nuclear Security Administration to remain operating at full capacity during the shutdown is close to running out.
"They will have to lay off 80% of their employees," Rogers told reporters. His office later clarified that the employees would be furloughed, not permanently laid off. "These are not employees that you want to go home. They're managing and handling a very important strategic asset for us. They need to be at work and being paid."
The National Nuclear Security Administration is part of the Department of Energy, and one of its core missions is "to ensure the United States maintains a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear stockpile through the application of unparalleled science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing," according to its website.
The notice provided by the NNSA to Rogers' office said that money used to pay salaries and expenses is expected to run out on Saturday. Once it does, roughly 1,400 employees will be placed on furlough, and 375 employees will continue to work, the agency said.
The agency also said it was reviewing contractors' plans to place facilities in "minimum-safe" status — that is, continuing "only those functions necessary to ensure the safety of life or protection of property." NNSA will "provide estimates of the number of contractor employees affected upon finalization of those plans."
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told USA Today on Thursday that, beginning next week, the department would begin cutting "tens of thousands" of contractors who do work with the nuclear agency.
In its plan for a shutdown, the Energy Department listed the National Nuclear Security Administration among its components that would maintain a small staff to support portions of the department "that perform functions related to the safety of human life or the protection of property, or would remain working as necessary to discharge the President's constitutional duties and powers."
The department said the nuclear security agency would continue performing functions in three program areas: maintenance, development, production and safeguarding nuclear weapons; international nonproliferation activities; and design and servicing of naval reactors.
It added, "within the weapons programs, excepted personnel will have oversight concerning stopping or maintaining critical control operations systems that involve nuclear materials or maintenance of one-of-a-kind equipment in order to make shutdown decisions." "Excepted" personnel are those deemed essential and required to stay on the job during a shutdown. Non-essential employees are placed on furlough. Both groups are not typically paid during a shutdown, but they are expected to receive back pay once more funding is approved.
In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron technicians work on an intercontinental ballistic missile on Sept. 22, 2020, at a launch facility near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana.
Senior Airman Daniel Brosam / AP
Nearly 200 employees at the Department of Energy received layoff notices last week, the Trump administration said in a court filing. However, it's unclear whether any of those people were employed by sub-agencies, like the National Nuclear Security Administration, that operate within the broader department.
The National Nuclear Security Administration received nearly $4 billion from Congress through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year, with funds set to remain available through September 2029.
The shutdown entered its 17th day Friday with no indication of a break in the logjam between Republicans and Democrats that would lead to a resolution. The Senate on Thursday took its 10th vote to advance a GOP-backed stopgap funding measure, but it again failed 51 to 45.
The ongoing funding lapse now is the third-longest in modern history, behind shutdowns in 1995 and in late 2018, which ran into 2019.
The Trump administration has been attempting to leverage its power to pressure Democrats to reopen the government. Notices to thousands of federal employees informing them they will be laid off began going out last week, though a federal judge on Wednesday issued a temporary order blocking the administration from carrying out the job cuts during the shutdown.
Russell Vought, head of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said Wednesday he expects more than 10,000 federal workers will be laid off. The administration had previously indicated in a court filing that it planned to cut more than 4,100 employees across eight agencies.
Jaala Brown contributed to this report.
