UNLESS CONGRESS COMES TO AN AGREEMENT SOON TO END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, BOTH SANDIA AND LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABS COULD CLOSE UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. THAT WORD CAME DOWN INITIALLY FROM THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
IN A LETTER TO EMPLOYEES FROM SANDIA NATIONAL LABS DIRECTOR PAUL HOMMERT, LAB WORKERS WERE TOLD THAT NNSA HAS ASKED THE LAB TO CLOSE ON OCTOBER 21ST. SOME LIMITED WORK AT SANDIA WOULD CONTINUE. THE LAB EMPLOYS CLOSE TO 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE.
WITH FURLOUGHS AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABS, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BENCHED UNDER THE SHUTDOWN WOULD TOTAL 18 THOUSAND FROM NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL LABS.
