Rep. Cleaver Calls on Department of Energy to Reinstate Furloughed Nuclear Employees

(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced that he joined 26 House Democrats in condemning the Department of Energy's decision to furlough nearly 80% of the National Nuclear Security Administration federal workforce, which has never happened before despite multiple government shutdowns throughout the agency's 25-year history. In a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the lawmakers demanded information on the national security implications of the decision and called on the Secretary to immediately rescind the furloughs.

"We write to express our deep concern about the furlough of nearly 80% of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) federal workforce," wrote the lawmakers. "Furloughing the vast majority of the agency's personnel is not only an unprecedented step, it is deeply harmful to U.S. national security. While the Republicans' government shutdown continues, we are also troubled that this announcement appears to be politically motivated rather than the result of careful deliberations amidst a funding shortfall."

"From maintaining and modernizing our nuclear weapons stockpile, to overseeing the Navy's nuclear propulsion, and managing nuclear nonproliferation programs, the United States is safer because of the dedicated public servants at NNSA, who have already been under attack by this Administration," the lawmakers continued. "These federal employees play a critical oversight role in ensuring that the work required to maintain nuclear security is carried out in accordance with longstanding policy and the law. Undermining the agency's workforce at such a challenging time for U.S. global leadership diminishes our credible deterrence, emboldens our international adversaries, and makes the world a more dangerous place."

"While Republicans have failed to use their governing mandate to keep the government open, we implore you to ensure that national security is not sacrificed as a consequence of their inaction. We urgently demand that you rescind this furlough notice and return NNSA employees to the important job of ensuring our nuclear stockpile is safe, secure, and reliable," the lawmakers concluded.

On October 20, Secretary Wright held a press conference announcing that the Department of Energy would be furloughing 1,400 direct-hire federal employees, leaving only 375 on the job nationwide. NNSA oversees sixteen facilities throughout the United States, including the Kansas City National Security Campus in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, the impact of these furloughs are rippling, with reportsthat roughly 1,600 additional union workers could be soon furloughed at the Kansas City campus as well.

Since the United States no longer conducts full-scale nuclear tests, stockpile scientists at the NNSS obtain data from breakthrough experiments, engineering audits and analysis, high-tech computer simulations, and world-class diagnostic measurement systems to keep warheads reliable, safe, and secure. As the nuclear arsenal is now more than 50 years old, such experiments are imperative to understand and predict how these aging devices will perform if deployed. Secretary Wright's announcement on October 20 calls into question the safety and security of the sensitive material at the Kansas City National Security Campus, other NNSA facilities, and the reliability of our nuclear arsenal.

The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.