Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) sent a letter to President Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) regarding recent terminations of NNSA personnel. Given the NNSA’s role maintaining and modernizing the American nuclear stockpile, largely done at the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS), the senators expressed grave concern that the chaotic terminations could harm American national security.
“NNSA personnel possess highly specialized expertise that is not easily replaceable, and any disruption to their work could have far-reaching consequences for U.S. national security and global nuclear stability,” wrote the senators in the letter. “Reductions in staff, particularly among senior leadership and technical experts, could compromise the continuity of critical programs, modernization, and weaken the ability of the U.S. to respond to emerging nuclear threats.”
“Adding to these concerns, there are reports the NNSA is now attempting to rehire the terminated employees but has been unable to contact some of them,” they continued. “The fact that the agency is struggling to restore essential personnel suggests these firings were premature, mismanaged, or not conducted with full consideration of the potential impacts on national security operations.”
The senators asked that the following information about the terminations be made public:
- The total number of National Nuclear Security Administration employees who were terminated, including those in Nevada.
- Any planned future rounds of firings, including those in Nevada.
- The specific positions and responsibilities of these employees.
- How many employees, if any, have been successfully rehired.
- A detailed explanation of the rationale behind these terminations, including any financial, policy, or strategic considerations that led to these decisions.
- How the hiring freeze, put in place by the current administration, impacts the mission at NNSA.
- A detailed assessment on how these firings and then rehirings impact any future recruitment at the NNSA.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen are champions for strengthening American national security, especially at sites like the NNSS. They have consistently voted to deliver critical funding to the NNSS. They also have a strong history of opposing nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mountain and have introduced legislation to ensure the Secretary of Energy obtains written consent from state, local, and tribal leaders before allowing construction of a nuclear waste repository. Cortez Masto also pressed DOE Secretary Wright in his confirmation hearing on whether he would stand up to any Trump administration attempts to cut funding to the NNSS.
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