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Washington, D.C.—On the same day the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) suspended the bulk of its critical safety operations, the head of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees helped lead a Capitol Hill rally demanding an end to the government shutdown.

The closing of the NRC—the agency which oversees the safety and security of nuclear reactors, nuclear materials and radioactive waste—“makes me nervous,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). “It should make everyone else nervous, too, including the House leadership.”

Speaking to a group on the Capitol grounds at a rally organized by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the NTEU leader led chants of “We want to work” and “Let them vote.” The latter is a reference to the refusal of House leadership to permit a vote on a Senate-passed continuing resolution without controversial amendments, which would lead to a reopening of the federal government.

“There is a clear CR from the Senate just waiting for passage in the House that would allow the government to open,” she said, “and it has bipartisan support. Shame on the House leadership for not letting them vote.”

NRC employees—fewer than 300 of the more than 4,000-employee workforce are excepted and at work—joined other NTEU-represented employees on forced furlough due to the shutdown. Among other agencies, some 85,000 Internal Revenue Service employees are furloughed, as are employees at the Food and Drug Administration, Federal Election Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Service and others. All are anxious to get back to work, Kelley said.

The rally drew a number of congressional leaders and members supportive of the federal workforce, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). They were joined by Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), as well as Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

A furloughed NTEU member, Marlana White, a staff accountant for the Fiscal Service with nine years in the federal workforce, also addressed the crowd, emphasizing her strong desire to return to work.

This marks the second end-the-shutdown furlough NTEU has participated in Washington in less than a week. Last Friday, a large rally at the House Triangle called for action to put federal employees back to work. Separately, NTEU chapters across the country are taking part in local events highlighting the impact on the public in their communities.

As the nation’s largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.