Shutdown into fourth week, US nuclear-agency furloughs most staff

The agency responsible for safeguarding the US nuclear stockpile began placing most of its staff on enforced leave Monday, an official said, after yet another congressional vote to end the crippling government shutdown failed.

With the standoff entering its fourth week, about 1,400 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) were due to receive notices placing them on unpaid furlough.

"Due to the Democrat shutdown, approximately 1,400 NNSA federal employees will be furloughed as of today, October 20, and nearly 400 will continue to work to support the protection of property and the safety of human life," a Department of Energy spokesperson said in a statement.


The United States has an arsenal of 5,177 nuclear warheads, of which about 1,770 are deployed, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The NNSA, which oversees 60,000 contractors, is responsible for designing, manufacturing, maintaining, and securing the weapons. The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but CNN reported that furloughs would initially affect sites that assemble nuclear weapons, including Pantex in Texas and Y-12 in Tennessee.

At 20 days, the United States is enduring its longest full government shutdown on record - or third-longest if partial stoppages are counted.

President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Democrats to vote with Republicans to reopen the government, issuing increasingly stark warnings of service cuts and layoffs.