WaffleWarrior
Well-known member
Senate Poised for 11th Vote as Government Shutdown Enters Tense Phase
The US government teeters on the brink of an unprecedented shutdown, with lawmakers on their eleventh vote to fund the federal agency responsible for maintaining the nation's nuclear arsenal. Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that a "large majority" of employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration have been furloughed, leaving critical personnel still working to keep the country's nuclear stockpile stable.
For the first time in its 25-year history, the agency has run out of federal funds for its workers, with approximately 1,400 employees across the country affected. Wright stressed that this was not a situation he wished to see, but rather a result of Congress' inability to pass a funding bill before existing funds expired.
Contractors working on nuclear modernization projects, however, will continue to be employed using separate funds tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed over the summer. These contractors, numbering around 100,000 nationwide, are among the most critical workers in the country, according to Wright, who cautioned that losing them would not only hurt families but also national security.
Wright emphasized the need for Congress to act swiftly and reopen the government as soon as possible. Senate Democrats, including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, have crossed party lines to vote in favor of advancing a House-passed measure to fund the government until November 21. The energy secretary expressed hope that Sen. Jacky Rosen would also support the bill, stating that he suspected she was willing to work towards reopening the government.
As the shutdown looms over the country, Wright called for unity and cooperation from lawmakers, urging them to prioritize the nation's nuclear security and keep families employed. With the fate of thousands of workers hanging in the balance, the Senate is set to vote once again on a plan to stabilize the federal agency responsible for maintaining America's nuclear arsenal.
The US government teeters on the brink of an unprecedented shutdown, with lawmakers on their eleventh vote to fund the federal agency responsible for maintaining the nation's nuclear arsenal. Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that a "large majority" of employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration have been furloughed, leaving critical personnel still working to keep the country's nuclear stockpile stable.
For the first time in its 25-year history, the agency has run out of federal funds for its workers, with approximately 1,400 employees across the country affected. Wright stressed that this was not a situation he wished to see, but rather a result of Congress' inability to pass a funding bill before existing funds expired.
Contractors working on nuclear modernization projects, however, will continue to be employed using separate funds tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed over the summer. These contractors, numbering around 100,000 nationwide, are among the most critical workers in the country, according to Wright, who cautioned that losing them would not only hurt families but also national security.
Wright emphasized the need for Congress to act swiftly and reopen the government as soon as possible. Senate Democrats, including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, have crossed party lines to vote in favor of advancing a House-passed measure to fund the government until November 21. The energy secretary expressed hope that Sen. Jacky Rosen would also support the bill, stating that he suspected she was willing to work towards reopening the government.
As the shutdown looms over the country, Wright called for unity and cooperation from lawmakers, urging them to prioritize the nation's nuclear security and keep families employed. With the fate of thousands of workers hanging in the balance, the Senate is set to vote once again on a plan to stabilize the federal agency responsible for maintaining America's nuclear arsenal.
. The government shutdown isn't just about Congress not agreeing on funding; it's about thousands of lives being put on hold because they're not sure what their next paycheck will be like 
. It's a harsh reminder that the work of these nuclear security workers is critical to keeping our country safe, and we need to come together as a nation to support them 
. We can't just expect everyone to be happy with everything when they're facing uncertainty; we gotta be willing to listen, compromise, and put the greater good above party lines 
. The Senate's got 11th chance to get it right – let's hope they take it seriously 
.
. Can't they just pass the bill already? The energy secretary says 1,400 employees are furloughed, but I want to see some numbers on that. How much money is really at stake here? $500 million? $5 billion? It's not like we're talking about a country in crisis... yet 
. Can't they just get their own funding bill passed too?
.
. Can we just have a rational discussion about this instead of playing politics?
... but at the same time, I think it's kinda necessary? Like, we can't just keep throwing money at these agencies forever, right? 
But on the other hand, not funding them means people are gonna lose their jobs and it's gonna affect families. Ugh, I don't know what to do with myself 
It's like, we need a plan that works for everyone, not just the ones in power 
... and can we please just have some unity around here? 
I mean, if Sen. Cortez Masto is willing to cross party lines, why can't others do the same? 
This whole thing is getting pretty tense 
What's going on with these politicians, can't they get along for once? 
! Can we please just get this government reopened ASAP?!
Meanwhile, I'm sure all these contractors working on nuclear modernization projects are super stressed out too 
. Can't Congress just put their differences aside for once and agree on a budget? 
can we please just get this over with already? 
. But at the same time, I get why nuclear security is so important 
️... can't have the country's nukes falling into the wrong hands 
and how are lawmakers going to make sure families don't suffer too much from all this? 
these contractors workin on nuclear projects are literally doin us a solid, ya know? 100k+ people affected by this gov shutdown... that's some crazy stuff. can we pls just put politics aside for a sec and think about the greater good? 
like, i get it, senators r supposed to disagree and all, but this is way more serious than any debate 
.
. this shutdown thing is a mess, but at least some folks are trying to find common ground 
can't believe congress cant get it together lol what's next? 
anyway hope sen jacky rosens gets on board and helps reopen the gov ASAP 
hope they get it together before the country suffers 
