Senator Markey Calls Out Trump Administration for Playing Politics with Nuclear Security

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (October 10, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today wrote to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, urging the Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure that our nation's nuclear arsenal is protected during the federal government shutdown. The Trump administration has claimed that it will temporarily suspend certain nuclear security programs as of October 10 because of the shutdown. Secretary Wright was recently quoted as saying, in reference to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), that "[e]ight more days of funding, and then we have to go into some emergency shutdown procedures, putting our country at risk." A few days later, NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams reportedly said that the shutdown is forcing his agency to adopt a "minimum safe operations posture."

In the letter, Senator Markey writes, "This situation is not acceptable and should be completely avoidable. The Trump administration has control over how the NNSA plans its operations during a government shutdown. The NNSA's operations were largely unaffected during the 35-day government shutdown that occurred during President Trump's first term, and DOE has previously said it did not expect any disruption to its operations from this shutdown. So, what changed?"

Senator Markey continues, "It appears that you are using the NNSA as a political prop in the partisan shutdown debate. You reportedly said that 'Chuck Schumer is worried about his left flank and is willing to put at risk Americans' jobs in the country to protect his own political future. What about Americans? What about our nuclear security?' By invoking 'our nuclear security' to score political points, you are the one turning a vital national security mission into a shutdown talking point. It is your decision to limit funding for the NNSA-not Congress's-that puts our country's nuclear security at risk."

Senator Markey concludes, "This would not be the first time DOE prioritized partisan politics over NNSA's nuclear security mission. Earlier this year you looked on as Elon Musk's DOGE fired too many people from NNSA and then had to scramble to hire some of them back. DOGE appointees were reportedly unaware of the NNSA's role in nuclear security."

The Senator requests answers to the following questions by October 15, 2025:

1. As DOE plans to put NNSA into a "minimum safe operations posture," which NNSA activities will continue, and which will not?
2. If discontinued, which specific NNSA activities led you to claim that the United States would be "at risk"?
3. If the Administration's own plan for NNSA threatens to put our country at risk, why would you not choose a different plan?

Senator Markey has continued to put pressure on the Trump administration for its reckless management of the NNSA.

• On March 27, Senator Markey led his colleagues Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative John Garamendi (CA-08) in writing to Secretary Wright about the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE's) cancellation of two DOE lab programs that support efforts to stop nuclear proliferation, following firings from the NNSA and DOGE access to DOE information systems.
• On February 20, Senators Markey, Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representative John Garamendi (CA-08) wrote to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Wright about DOGE firing up to 350 staff members at the NNSA, jeopardizing the security of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, weakening our ability to detect and prevent threats to nuclear safety, and undermining U.S. nonproliferation commitments.
• On February 12, Senator Markey and Representative Don Beyer (VA-08), members of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group wrote to Secretary Wright regarding their concerns that DOGE had been granted access to DOE, which oversees weapons secrets.

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