A plane takes off from Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Washington, in view of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. The federal government reopened on Wednesday, but some effects will be felt for a long time.
Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The longest government shutdown in US history has officially ended after President Trump signed the bill passed by Congress on Wednesday night.
The federal government is reopening. But after a 43-day pause, things will not be able to return to normal immediately. For example, federal employees are still awaiting back pay and disruptions to air travel are expected to persist.
And some impacts could last more than six weeks, whether it’s national parks trying to recoup lost visitor revenue or taxpayers having to wait longer for refunds from the backlogged Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The threat of another potential shutdown also looms in the near future, as the bill only funds the government until January 30.
Here’s where things stand right now.
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Federal employees return to work awaiting back pay
Nearly 1.4 million federal workers have been without pay for six weeks. About half of them had to continue working without pay, while hundreds of thousands of others were furloughed.
Russ Watt, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told agency heads to direct furloughed employees to return to work Thursday.
“Agencies should take all necessary steps to ensure that offices reopen in a prompt and orderly manner on Thursday,” Watt wrote in Wednesday’s memo.
The timing of payment of dues is a different question.
Following the government shutdown that ended in January 2019 – the longest in history – Congress passed a law ensuring back pay for federal employees “at the earliest practicable date after the lapse in appropriations expires, regardless of scheduled pay dates.”
But Trump seemed to suggest otherwise in public comments last month, worrying many unions.
The bill Congress passed to end the shutdown guarantees unpaid wages. It also reverses efforts by several agencies to cut staff during the shutdown, which were blocked by a federal judge, and blocks additional layoffs of federal employees until January.
Federal employment attorney Shawn Southworth said in an Instagram video that the timing of backpay will vary by agency depending on their payroll providers, but most employees should start seeing deposits within a few days.
“Historically many employees saw deposits within the first business days after reopening,” he says of the last shutdown. “Minorities can enter the next cycle if the system requires additional processing.”
Daytona Beach residents wait in their cars during a free food distribution for SNAP recipients organized by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and The Jewish Federation at the Daytona International Speedway last week.
Miguel J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILO/AFP via Getty Images
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Miguel J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILO/AFP via Getty Images
snap is back
Congress passed bill to reopen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) until September 2026.
The program, which some 42 million Americans rely on for food assistance, has been the subject of much uncertainty and a growing legal battle in recent weeks. The Trump administration said last month it would suspend SNAP funding in November because of the shutdown, sparking widespread outrage and a series of legal challenges.
While the administration initially said it would abide by two rulings requiring it to provide at least partial funding for SNAP in November, one of those judges said it would have to fully fund the program for this month — and ultimately appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court put that order on hold (and extended that stay again on Tuesday as the shutdown nears its end).
At this point, beneficiaries in some states have received their entire monthly allocation, while others have received partial payments or nothing at all. Reopening the government means restarting SNAP, but it’s unclear how soon full payments will resume, as it varies by state. And, as NPR reported, many who rely on the program are worried that benefits could be cut again.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History, closed during the government shutdown, is expected to reopen Friday.
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Stephanie Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Smithsonian Institutions to reopen on a gradual basis
The Smithsonian, which includes 21 museums and the National Zoo, says its reopening will be gradual.
Its website says the National Museum of American History, as well as the National Air and Space Museum and its Virginia Annex, the Steven F. The Udvar-Haji Center will open its doors on Friday.
All other museums and zoos – including its beloved live animal cameras – will reopen to the public “on a phased basis” by Monday.
This is a live story that will be updated throughout the day as we learn more.