The U.S. government is scrambling to recall nuclear safety personnel it had just laid off a few days ago, following concern that their loss would amount to a national security risk.
The employees are employed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and were part of several hundred Department of Energy employees who were handed layoff notices. The NNSA designs, builds, and maintains the United States’ nuclear weapons arsenal.
The firings were the latest step by President Donald Trump in reducing the federal government, which he began when he took office. Over 300 NNSA staff were fired, according to U.S. media. The Department of Energy spokesperson disagreed, saying fewer than 50 were let go.
The staff cuts aimed at employees in major plants where nuclear warheads are made. Yet the Trump administration has since tried to reverse those terminations, though it has had a hard time reaching the terminated employees, who have been locked out of their government email accounts.
A memo distributed to NNSA staff members on Friday notifying them of the fact that termination letters for certain employees would be rescinded, but the department had a hard time reaching them, with instructions to managers to send notices to personal email addresses.
This comes after the broader initiative to reduce the federal workforce, as nearly 10,000 federal workers were let go from their positions at various agencies last week. In addition to this, nearly 75,000 employees accepted voluntary buyouts this past fall.
The Trump administration, backed by stakeholders like Elon Musk through the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), is looking to make government spending and staffing more efficient, even going so far as to propose extreme solutions like eliminating the department of education.
The administration also directed the firing of nearly all of its probationary employees last week, the NNSA employees included. The moves have drawn legal rebukes, with the Trump administration being hit with over 60 lawsuits since January.
