Overview
- The Energy Department says about 1,400 NNSA federal employees were furloughed on Oct. 20, with roughly 375 to 400 retained for duties tied to protection of life and property.
- Officials confirm the agency’s first furlough since its creation in 2000, while stressing the stockpile remains secure and security personnel remain on post.
- The Office of Secure Transportation is funded through Oct. 27, and NNSA sources say contractor funds could be exhausted as early as Oct. 28, risking halted maintenance and weapons deliveries to the Pentagon.
- Production hubs such as Pantex in Texas and Y‑12 in Tennessee are moving to “safe shutdown,” and labs including Sandia report continuing limited work using remaining funds.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced local furloughs in Nevada and urged Congress to pass a funding bill, as negotiations remain stuck over Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions.