The Department of Energy is using “creative ways” to keep thousands of National Nuclear Security Administration contractors paid through the end of the month amid an ongoing federal government shutdown, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday.
That revelation came as the department furloughed 1,400 NNSA employees Monday.
“This is as long as we could stretch the money for the federal workers,” Wright said from an NNSA field office in North Las Vegas, Nevada. “We were able to do some gymnastics and stretch it further for the contractors.”
The government shut down Oct. 1, and most Democrats are refusing to back legislation to provide federal funding until Republicans agree to extend expiring health care subsidies. At DOE, employees have been told they may be fired outright. The department has also cut billions of dollars in clean energy grants.
