The ongoing government shutdown is threatening the modernization of the US nuclear arsenal, depriving the Department of Energy of the ability to pay contractors, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an interview with Fox News.
“Another component of our department's work, besides energy, is the US nuclear arsenal - the work of creating, designing and maintaining nuclear weapons. It is currently in good working order and is under the control of the Department of Defense, and our department is responsible for its modernization. Our work is gaining momentum, and at the same time, contractors are about to be laid off,“ he said.
Wright added that the shutdown will leave “people who have been working on weapons for decades, without jobs and compensation“. “We need more Democrats with common sense who understand that we should not jeopardize the modernization of our nuclear infrastructure“, the Secretary of Energy noted.
Earlier, the Secretary of Energy announced that due to the shutdown of his department, he would only be able to pay subcontractors of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is responsible for modernizing and preserving the US nuclear arsenal, until the end of October.
The current partial shutdown of the US federal government began at midnight on October 1 due to a lack of funding after Congress failed to reach an agreement on certain spending items, including health care. Democrats and Republicans have accused each other of provoking the shutdown and extending it for political purposes.
According to US law, departments and agencies responsible for national security and foreign policy activities must continue to work, even if federal funding is cut off. Similar requirements apply to government employees whose jobs are focused on “protecting life and property“. Government employees forced to work under such circumstances do not receive salaries, but they usually receive their salaries after the funding issue is resolved.