Funding freezes, bureaucratic delays and mass layoffs at the Energy Department are crippling its climate and infrastructure programs and hindering the government’s efforts to rebuild American manufacturing.
As of last Friday, the department was expected to lose about 1,800 employees, according to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio).
The layoffs affected about 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration employees, although most of them were brought back after the initial firings.
Kate Gordon, former senior advisor to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and climate policy advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, said the employees had security clearances but were let go with their work devices.
“That’s a major security threat to the United States. They were brought back…
