The latest federal workers to be furloughed: people who monitor the nuclear stockpile

On a visit to Nevada, Wright said the National Nuclear Security Administration would furlough 1,400 federal workers as part of the shutdown, which… It started on October 1st. Nearly 400 federal workers will remain on the job, along with thousands of Nuclear Security Administration contractors, the Energy Department said. The Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous branch of the Department of Energy, works to secure nuclear materials around the world.

“A tough day today,” Wright said in Las Vegas before a scheduled visit to the Nevada National Security Site in Mercury, Nevada. “We’re working hard to protect everyone’s jobs and keep our national stockpile safe.”

Wright said the furloughs do not pose an immediate national security threat, adding: “We have emergency personnel and the current nuclear stockpile is safe.”

Administration of Republican President Donald Trump Hundreds of NNSA employees fired Earlier this year, before changing course amid criticism, the action could jeopardize national security. Similar criticism emerged Monday after Wright’s announcement.

Wright said the disruption would impact employees and their families and delay testing of commercial reactors, including some small modular reactors that the Trump administration has pushed as a cheaper alternative to costly nuclear plants that can take years or even decades to get up and running.

“These are high-risk jobs,” Wright said, urging congressional leaders to reopen the government as soon as possible.

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said it was “dangerously unacceptable for the Trump administration to claim that it will have to temporarily suspend some nuclear security programs because of the ongoing government shutdown.”

“There is no justification for relaxing security and oversight when it comes to our nuclear stockpile,” Markey said.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, Republican of Alabama, said lawmakers were informed of the pending furloughs late last week.

“These are not employees you want to go home,” he said at a news conference on Friday. “They are managing and handling a very important strategic asset to us. They should be at work and getting paid.”

Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, called these leaves unacceptable.

“We cannot allow our nuclear programs to be delayed or interrupted during this shutdown,” Wicker said in a statement. “This is not a partisan issue, and for the sake of our national security,” Congress must reopen the government immediately. “In the meantime, Secretary Wright must work with Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House to ensure our nuclear weapons stockpile remains secure and capable of deterring our adversaries.”

At the heart of the government shutdown are looming increases in health insurance for millions of people. Democrats are Seeking negotiations on the end of health care subsidies While Republicans say they will not discuss that, or any other policy, until the government reopens.

The February layoffs, initially involving Nuclear Security Administration workers, were part of that A massive purge of federal workers Led by then-Trump advisor Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.

One of the hardest hit offices at the time was the Pantex plant near Amarillo, Texas. These employees work to reassemble warheads, including: The most sensitive jobs Throughout the nuclear weapons establishment, with the highest levels of clearance.

Employees received leave notices dated Sunday for 30 days or less, with an expiration date of November 18. Employees who are not engaged in performing critical functions such as those related to the safety of human life, protection of property or work on orderly suspension of operations, have been placed on leave without pay.

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Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, and Ty O’Neill in Las Vegas contributed to this story.