NNSA furloughs 1,400 employees, pays contractors until end of month

The agency responsible for securing the country’s nuclear weapon stockpile will be able to pay thousands of government contractors until the end of the month.

“This has never happened before,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said of the NNSA furlough during a news conference at the Nevada National Security Site on Monday. He noted that it is the first time in the NNSA’s 25-year history that it has furloughed employees, adding, “This should not happen."

A DOE spokesperson said the furlough currently impacts only federal employees, not the entire complex. The spokesperson also said that the 400 NNSA federal employees who are deemed essential will work “to support the protection of property and safety of human life.”

Contractors still paid . . . for now: Wright said they’ve worked to find “creative ways” to keep more than 3,000 contractors at the Nevada National Security Site paid at least through the end of the October.

In addition, the NNSA’s Office of Secure Transportation has enough funding to last through October 27, a DOE spokesperson told Nuclear Newswire. This office is responsible for the safe and secure transportation of nuclear weapons and components.

Looking to Congress: Since October 1, the Senate has failed to pass a continuing resolution bill that would reopen the government and continue funding at fiscal year 2025 levels.

Wright thanked Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D., Nev.) who joined Sen. Angus King (I., Maine) in crossing party lines to support the continuing resolution in a vote of 50–43 on Monday—far short of the 60 votes needed to pass the measure. Wright urged Nevada’s other Democratic senator, Sen. Jacky Rosen, to vote for the bill and get the NNSA staff and all government employees, back to work.