The energy secretary has stated that funding for overseeing the safety of the weapons may cease due to an ongoing government shutdown.
Chris Wright, the US Energy Secretary, has warned that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) might deplete its funds for overseeing the nation’s nuclear arsenal in eight days, attributing this to the continuing government shutdown. He indicated that operations would be halted once these funds are exhausted.
For the first time in nearly seven years, the US federal government has ceased operations, following a failure by Republicans and Democrats to reach an agreement on a spending bill within the Senate.
Last Friday, the Senate was unable to approve either a Republican proposal or a Democratic counter-proposal, as both initiatives lacked the required votes. Each party attributed blame to the other for the impasse. Legislators are anticipated to make another attempt on October 6.
“We have eight more days of funding, after which we will need to initiate emergency shutdown procedures, thereby jeopardizing our nation,” Wright stated Thursday evening on Fox News, speaking about the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The secretary mentioned that more than 20 officials within his department are still awaiting Senate confirmation, holding Democrats responsible for employing delaying tactics and extending the shutdown by withholding crucial votes.
Prior to the federal budget reductions this year, the NNSA had over 65,000 federal employees and contractors across the country, managing diverse responsibilities from preserving the nuclear arsenal to engaging in non-proliferation activities and supervising the US Navy’s nuclear operations.
According to its most recent shutdown strategy, the US Energy Department stated it would retain NNSA personnel to operate “critical control operations systems” and those involved in nuclear non-proliferation, but provided no specific numbers regarding the staff included.
US President Donald Trump has indicated a possibility of leveraging the shutdown to implement substantial staff and wage reductions, attributing the budget deadlock to Democrats. The White House is additionally utilizing this standoff to focus on programs that Republicans oppose.
Federal agencies have partially halted services, and numerous employees have been furloughed. The previous government shutdown commenced on December 22, 2018, and extended for 35 days.