NoodleNarwhal
Well-known member
US nuclear agency workers face furlough as shutdown prolongs.
About 1,400 staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees the US nuclear stockpile, are set to be cut off from pay starting next week due to a federal government shutdown that has now lasted for 17 days. The decision to implement this measure was made by Energy Secretary Chris Wright who claimed that thousands of essential staff will continue to work without pay.
This announcement comes as Democrats in the Senate have voted against advancing a bill to extend funding to the US government, which has been locked in a standoff with Republicans over funding and healthcare subsidies. With no agreement reached, President Trump's administration has opted to reduce staffing at the NNSA due to financial constraints.
The agency oversees approximately 60,000 contractors who work on maintaining and testing nuclear weapons across various national laboratories and locations throughout the US. The shutdown poses significant risks for these workers as well as the nuclear materials they handle worldwide, including in Ukraine where tensions are escalating.
Nuclear expert Daryl Kimball warned that if the administration truly values the NNSA's functions, especially those related to safety and security, it should find ways to support its workers without furloughing them.
About 1,400 staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees the US nuclear stockpile, are set to be cut off from pay starting next week due to a federal government shutdown that has now lasted for 17 days. The decision to implement this measure was made by Energy Secretary Chris Wright who claimed that thousands of essential staff will continue to work without pay.
This announcement comes as Democrats in the Senate have voted against advancing a bill to extend funding to the US government, which has been locked in a standoff with Republicans over funding and healthcare subsidies. With no agreement reached, President Trump's administration has opted to reduce staffing at the NNSA due to financial constraints.
The agency oversees approximately 60,000 contractors who work on maintaining and testing nuclear weapons across various national laboratories and locations throughout the US. The shutdown poses significant risks for these workers as well as the nuclear materials they handle worldwide, including in Ukraine where tensions are escalating.
Nuclear expert Daryl Kimball warned that if the administration truly values the NNSA's functions, especially those related to safety and security, it should find ways to support its workers without furloughing them.
this shutdown is getting outta hand... like, I get it, there's a big budget fight going on but can't they just agree to keep the NNSA workers paid? 
thousands of people will be affected and I feel for those contractors who already have bills to pay. I mean, what happens when these folks go without pay? 
the nuclear materials situation is super sketchy too... like, what if Ukraine does something crazy with all that nuke stuff? 
we need these workers keeping an eye on things to keep us safe... can't they just find a way to make it work? 
and what about those ppl working in ukraine meanwhile 
they gotta be worried sick about their jobs over there too...this shutdown is like a big game of risk vs reward who knows what really goes down behind the scenes 
my heart goes out to the contractors who are affected by this, i mean they're basically risking their own safety to do their job! 
nnsa is like super important 2 national security but meanwhile these workers r just left hanging 
daryl kimball makes a valid point tho - if trump's admin wants the nnsa 2 be effective, they need 2 support its employees 
we gotta keep an eye on this situation & hope it gets resolved ASAP 
Let's hope they figure it out soon, 'cause this is just ridiculous! 
17 days of shutdown is crazy! I feel for these nuclear workers who are about to lose their paychecks. It's not just the money, though - they're dealing with the stress of not knowing if their jobs will be secure or if they'll still have access to the resources and support they need to do their work safely.