Hundreds of workers guarding the nation’s nuclear weapons are being furloughed as the government shutdown drags on.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the agency in charge of safeguarding and transporting nuclear weapons, is being gutted, leaving only a fraction of its workforce on the job.

About 1,400 employees will be furloughed starting on Monday, leaving fewer than 400 people to oversee and protect the nuclear stockpile, the Department of Energy told CNN.

The shutdown has stretched into a fourth week as Republicans and Democrats fail to find a compromise, notably on demands to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.

“Since its creation in 2000, NNSA has never before furloughed federal workers during funding lapses,” Energy Department spokesperson Ben Dietderich sai

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