National Nuclear Security Administration to furlough 1,400 employees amid government shutdown

The National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees and modernizes the nuclear stockpile, will furlough 1,400 employees on Monday amid the government shutdown.

The furlough will leave fewer than 400 employees on the job to safeguard the nuclear stockpile, Energy Department spokesperson Ben Dietderich told CNN.

"We are left with no choice this time," he said. "We’ve extended funding as long as we could.

Dietderich also said this is the first time the agency since its creation in 2000 furloughed federal workers during a funding lapse.

However, facilities with weapons and nuclear materials will still have security staff guarding them.

On Monday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright will speak about the shutdown’s impact on U.S. nuclear deterrent efforts during his visit to the Nevada National Security Site.

The NNSA Office of Secure Transportation, which oversees the transportation of nuclear weapons around the U.S., will be funded through Oct. 27.

An unnamed source told CNN that the furloughs will first impact NNSA sites that assemble nuclear weapons, such as Pantex in Texas and Y-12 in Tennessee, because those facilities require large teams to manufacture weapons, forcing them into safe shutdown mode.

Contractors will reportedly to work until they run out of money.