The US government shutdown could force the layoffs of most of the employees handling the nation's nuclear weapons, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee warned Friday.

"We were just informed last night (that) the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) -- the group that handles and manages our nuclear stockpile -- that the carryover funding they've been using is about to run out," Republican congressman Mike Rogers told reporters.

"They will have to lay off 80 percent of their employees."

The federal government shutdown is set to head into a new week with no end in sight after the Senate failed for a 10th time on Thursday to pass the Republican bill to reopen the government.

It was not clear if Rogers was referring to temporary enforced leave during the shutdown, o

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