The agency responsible for safeguarding the US nuclear stockpile has begun placing most of its staff on enforced leave, an official said, as yet another congressional vote to end the crippling government shutdown failed.
With the standoff entering its fourth week, some 1,400 workers 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 20th, and nearly 400 NNSA federal employees 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, with about 1,770 deployed, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
The NNSA, which oversees 60,000 contractors, is responsible for designing, manufacturing, servicing, and securing those weapons.
CNN reported that the furloughs will 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 ever — the third-longest if partial stoppages are included.
President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Democrats to vote with Republicans to reopen the government.
"We’re hoping the Democrats become much less deranged and that we will get the vote pretty soon," Trump said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the furloughs posed "a danger to the American people."
He said falling behind US adversaries in nuclear readiness would be a "very serious" threat to the country’s position as "the last great superpower."
