Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned on Thursday evening that the National Nuclear Security Administration faces a funding crisis within eight days because of the federal government shutdown. The administration will suspend operations after exhausting available resources and must implement emergency procedures that could compromise national security.
The Senate failed to pass spending legislation on Friday after both Republican and Democratic proposals fell short of the required votes. Lawmakers plan another attempt on Oct. 6 as both parties blame each other for the impasse. Wright attributed delays to Democratic obstruction of confirmations for more than 20 department officials.
The NNSA employed over 65,000 federal workers and contractors before budget reductions and manages nuclear arsenal maintenance, nonproliferation programs, and Navy nuclear oversight. The Energy Department's shutdown plan maintains critical control operations and nonproliferation staff, but does not specify the number of employees. Federal agencies have partially suspended services, and many employees face furloughs, in the first shutdown since December 2018.
The Senate failed to pass spending legislation on Friday after both Republican and Democratic proposals fell short of the required votes. Lawmakers plan another attempt on Oct. 6 as both parties blame each other for the impasse. Wright attributed delays to Democratic obstruction of confirmations for more than 20 department officials.
The NNSA employed over 65,000 federal workers and contractors before budget reductions and manages nuclear arsenal maintenance, nonproliferation programs, and Navy nuclear oversight. The Energy Department's shutdown plan maintains critical control operations and nonproliferation staff, but does not specify the number of employees. Federal agencies have partially suspended services, and many employees face furloughs, in the first shutdown since December 2018.
