Approximately 1,400 personnel will face furloughs at the agency tasked with managing the United States’ nuclear weapons arsenal.
The U.S. government shutdown has prompted the Trump administration to announce that around 1,400 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will be placed on furlough starting next week.
A Department of Energy representative, overseeing the semi-independent NNSA, confirmed on Friday that roughly 400 staff members will remain active at the agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright expressed his frustration on X, stating, “Enough is enough,” as he revealed the impending furloughs affecting critical personnel involved in nuclear arsenal modernization.
“Due to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s ongoing shutdown, thousands of essential workers dedicated to updating our nuclear capabilities will be furloughed starting next week,” Wright posted, highlighting the political impasse.
Last Thursday, Senate Democrats rejected a Republican proposal aimed at extending federal funding for the tenth time, prolonging the government shutdown, which has now stretched to 17 days.
Starting next week, we’re going to have to furlough thousands of workers that are critical to modernizing our nuclear arsenal because of Schumer’s disastrous Shutdown.
Enough is enough!https://t.co/0jSorVkdkZ
– Secretary Chris Wright (@SecretaryWright) October 17, 2025
Republican leaders have placed the blame on Democrats, accusing them of obstructing funding legislation to leverage negotiations over healthcare subsidies.
During shutdowns, federal employees deemed “essential” continue their duties without immediate pay, receiving back pay only once the government reopens.
So far, about 750,000 of the over two million federal workers have been furloughed, alongside tens of thousands of government contractors.
The NNSA’s federal workforce supervises nearly 60,000 contractors who perform maintenance and testing of nuclear weapons at various national laboratories and facilities across the country.
In addition to domestic responsibilities, the agency plays a vital role in securing hazardous nuclear materials globally, including in Ukraine, where the United Nations has warned of heightened nuclear risks amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan group advocating for arms control, criticized the planned furloughs, emphasizing the importance of the NNSA’s work.
“If the administration truly values the NNSA’s critical functions-many of which are essential for the safety and security of nuclear facilities-they should allocate funds to keep these employees working,” Kimball stated.
“Otherwise, reconsidering the stance on the federal shutdown might be necessary,” he added.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Secretary Wright cautioned that the shutdown would hinder progress on modernizing the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
“We were gaining significant momentum, and having staff unpaid and absent from work will only impede our efforts,” he remarked.
The Energy Department announced that Wright plans to visit the National Nuclear Security Site in Nevada on Monday to assess the shutdown’s effects firsthand.
Earlier this year, as part of Elon Musk’s brief initiative to reduce government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), numerous NNSA employees received termination notices.
However, the Trump administration swiftly reversed these layoffs, reinstating most of the affected workers within days.
