?Washington (February 20, 2025) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) along with Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), today wrote to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) firing up to 350 staff members at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), jeopardizing the security of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, weakening our ability to detect and prevent threats to nuclear safety, and undermining U.S. nonproliferation commitments. Senators Markey and Merkley and Congressman Garamendi are co-chairs of the congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group.
In the letter, the lawmakers write, “According to press reports, these firings occurred because ‘the officials did not seem to know this agency oversees America’s nuclear weapons.’ The reckless decision to eliminate 350 positions, without a clear national security justification, raises serious concerns about the Department of Energy’s (DOE) commitment to this core mission. DOE has struggled to rehire some of these employees ‘because they didn’t have their new contact information.’ This series of events calls into further question DOGE’s competence to carry out its self-assigned task.”
The lawmakers continue, “Although you and DOGE may find it administratively convenient to fire probationary employees, these particular employees were not inexperienced new hires to the federal government.”
The lawmakers request responses to questions that include:
On February 12, 2025, Senator Markey and Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), a House co-chair of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, wrote to Energy Secretary Wright regarding their concerns that Elon Musk’s DOGE had been granted access to DOE, which oversees the NNSA and the nation’s most sensitive nuclear weapons secrets.
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