US President Donald Trump's administration has fired more than 300 officials at the National Nuclear Security Administration as part of wider layoffs in the Energy Department of the country, CNN reported, citing four people with the knowledge of the matter.
The report claims that the Trump administration's officials likely did not know that the employees they are firing oversee the country's nuclear weapons. Hours later, however, the agency began withdrawing terminations of employees.
An Energy Department spokesperson claimed that the number of persons “dismissed” was “less than 50 people". The spokesperson added that the fired employees “held primarily administrative and clerical roles”.
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Some of the fired employees included NNSA staff, who are on the ground at facilities where nuclear weapons are built. These staff oversee the contractors who build nuclear weapons, and they inspect these weapons.
The list of fired employees also included those who draft requirements and guidelines for contractors who build nuclear weapons. A source told CNN that the individuals were likely fired because “no one has taken anytime to understand what we do and the importance of our work to the nation’s national security.”
{{/usCountry}}The list of fired employees also included those who draft requirements and guidelines for contractors who build nuclear weapons. A source told CNN that the individuals were likely fired because “no one has taken anytime to understand what we do and the importance of our work to the nation’s national security.”
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Members of Congress also reportedly met Energy Secretary Chris Wright to express their concern about the job cuts at the agency.
“The nuclear deterrent is the backbone of American security and stability – period. For there to be any even very small holes poked even in the maintenance of that deterrent should be extremely frightening to people," a source said. “Clearly, the agency is a critical agency. There have been lawmakers with concerns,” another source said.
The only probationary employees who were not fired at the agency were reportedly those belonging to the Office of Secure Transportation. Such employees are in charge of driving or transporting nuclear weapons around the US securely.
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Probationary workers have typically been employed for less than a year, or two years in some cases, and have fewer job protections and rights to appeal.
Acting NNSA administrator Teresa Robbins said on Friday that if probationary NNSA employees had not yet been fired, their jobs were now safe and all NNSA employees whose access to the agency’s network and internal IT systems was shut off would be turned back on, one source told CNN.
Another source cautioned the situation was extremely fluid and said “we don’t know” how many people will be returning.