Over 1,400 Employees Furloughed Temporarily at National Nuclear Security Administration

During the government shutdown that began October 1, 2025, the Department of Energy announced that it would furlough more than 1,400 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees the United States' nuclear weapons arsenal, once carryover funds were exhausted. The move prompted objections from Democratic members of Congress, who accused the administration of furloughing these essential workers for political reasons. The furloughs ended when the shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — concluded in mid-November 2025.