Copyright Newsweek
A new map highlights the U.S. nuclear weapons sites that could be significantly impacted by the ongoing government shutdown. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), responsible for maintaining and modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal, began furloughing approximately 80 percent of its civilian workforce on Monday as the government shutdown continues, a Department of Energy spokesperson told Newsweek. This includes about 1,400 employees, with nearly 400 remaining to perform essential duties. "Due to the Democrat shutdown, approximately 1,400 NNSA federal employees will be furloughed as of Monday, October 20th and nearly 400 NNSA federal employees will continue to work to support the protection of property and the safety of human life. NNSA’s Office of Secure Transportation remains funded through October 27, 2025," the spokesperson said. The NNSA has never before furloughed workers since its establishment in 2000. "We are left with no choice this time," spokesperson Ben Dietderich said. "We've extended funding as long as we could." Why It Matters The NNSA plays a key role in maintaining and modernizing U.S. nuclear warheads, overseeing Navy nuclear propulsion and managing nonproliferation programs. While it does not directly operate U.S. nuclear weapons—that responsibility lies with the Pentagon—it is central to America’s nuclear deterrent. What To Know The federal government shuttered at the beginning of the month after Congress failed to break a funding deadlock and pass a measure to keep agencies running. The government funding dispute largely centers on whether to include an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies in the spending bill. Democrats say health care protections must be preserved, while Republicans say funding and policy should be handled separately. As the shutdown continued, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on October 13 that it was “starting to affect” the U.S. economy. “This is getting serious. It’s starting to affect the real economy. It’s starting to affect people’s lives,” he told Fox News. The shutdown has also left federal workers unpaid, with around 4,000 federal workers laid off and key services suspended, with no end in sight as both parties hold firm. And that includes workers at the NNSA. With roughly 100,000 contractors and subcontractors tied to the NNSA’s nationwide network of laboratories and production facilities, the sites affected by the furlough stretch from California to South Carolina and include some of the most sensitive laboratories and production plants in the nation. Among them are the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, the Sandia National Laboratories in California and New Mexico, the Los Alamos National Laboratory—central to nuclear weapons design—in New Mexico and the Pantex Plant in Texas, where warheads are assembled and dismantled. Other key locations include the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, which handles nuclear materials and waste. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an interview with Bloomberg that while the U.S. nuclear stockpile remains secure, the shutdown could “compromise a program to replace aging nuclear weaponry.” House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers warned that the furloughs would have serious national security consequences, describing them as “another consequence” of Senate Democrats blocking a Republican-backed funding stopgap. A House Armed Services spokesperson later clarified that the staff were being temporarily furloughed, not permanently laid off. Rogers and other top Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for allowing the shutdown to continue. Johnson said the country is “barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history, unless Democrats drop their demands.” Rogers added that the effects would soon extend beyond the NNSA. “People are about to start missing paychecks. That’s when it gets painful,” Johnson said. Outside government, nuclear watchdogs also expressed concern. Jay Coghlan, executive director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, said it was unclear whether the furloughs would immediately affect safety but added: “As a baseline, the nuclear safety officers have always been understaffed. There is simply not enough federal oversight as is. And then you’re talking about furloughing more.” Under the agency’s 2025 contingency protocols, a skeleton crew of essential workers will continue “monitoring nuclear materials, maintaining unique equipment, ensuring reactor safety for Navy vessels, and continuing international nonproliferation work it deems essential for security.” However, most scientific research, stockpile maintenance, and modernization programs will be suspended. The Energy Department said Wright visited the NNSA site in Las Vegas on Monday “to further discuss the impacts of the shutdown on America’s nuclear deterrent.” The ongoing shutdown is the longest full government funding lapse in U.S. history. What People Are Saying Representative Mike Rogers said: "The group that manages our nuclear stockpile— the carryover funding they've been using is about to run out. They will have to layoff 80 percent of their employees. These are not employees that you want to go home.They’re managing and handling a very important strategic asset for us. They need to be at work and being paid.” What Happens Next The NNSA’s Office of Secure Transportation, which moves nuclear weapons and materials, has funding to operate through October 27.
