The American federal government ends shutdown, but the restart time may be over a week.

On November 12th, local time, President Trump signed a federal government temporary funding bill at the White House, ending the historic 43-day government shutdown. Earlier that day, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass a federal government temporary funding bill that had previously been passed by the Senate. The House ultimately passed the bill with 222 votes in support and 209 votes against. This bill will provide continuous funding for the federal government, allowing most government agencies to receive operational funding until January 30, 2026. However, it may take several days, and even up to a week or longer, for the federal government to fully resume normal operations. The salary system needs to be updated to issue back pay for the shutdown period. Backlogged funding payments, loan applications, and customer service cases will also need to be cleared up promptly. Delayed environmental permits, workplace inspections, and government contract approvals have piled up in various federal agencies. The above restart work will only begin after the Congress passes the funding bill and it is officially signed by President Trump. The White House Office of Management and Budget has instructed all federal employees who were forced to take furlough during the shutdown to return to work on Thursday. Federal officials warn that some restrictions related to the shutdown will continue to exist. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that the government plans to start lifting flight restrictions within a week of reopening, just before the peak of Thanksgiving travel. Duffy's prediction was confirmed by Delta Air Lines, Inc. CEO Ed Bastian, who said on Wednesday that Thanksgiving holiday air travel should be "very smooth." Although federal employees will receive back pay, agencies warn that recalculating payrolls may take time. According to a government official, salaries will be distributed as early as Saturday, with the goal of completing all back payments by November 19th. According to a law passed in 2019, federal agencies must pay full salaries interrupted due to the shutdown as soon as possible after funding is restored, regardless of the original pay date. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said it took about two to two and a half months for air traffic controllers to fully receive compensation after the 2019 government shutdown. Duffy promised faster action this time. He said air traffic controllers will receive approximately 70% of back pay within 24 to 48 hours after the government reopens, with the remaining balance to be paid about a week later. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as the food stamp program, will resume its regular payment cycle after weeks of uncertainty and states being forced to delay or limit the distribution of benefits. But this process will also take some time to complete. States have indicated that they will need up to a week to update beneficiary records and reload benefit cards. As there are only two major suppliers of benefit cards in the country, there may be system bottlenecks when states try to issue benefits simultaneously. The "aftermath" of this government shutdown will vary by agency, making it difficult to predict. Each federal department must develop shutdown emergency plans, detailing how to close and restart operations. However, most plans are designed for shorter funding interruptions, rather than a shutdown lasting six weeks. The impact of this government shutdown on the overall economy and American households has been quite severe. Economists estimate that each week of the shutdown has caused economic losses of about $10 billion to $15 billion. While backpay and restoring government spending can partially compensate for these losses, economists point out that some of the record-breaking shutdown's effects will never be recovered. Furthermore, White House press secretary Levy said on Wednesday that due to the government shutdown, the October nonfarm payroll report and Consumer Price Index report are likely to be delayed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and other statistical agencies responsible for producing these key economic data have stopped production and release of data during the shutdown, leaving policymakers without crucial indicators to assess the health of the US economy. Although economists note that some data can be retrospectively collected and released, some indicators may be entirely skipped. Due to the unique nature of data collection, the October CPI and the unemployment rate report are considered high-risk indicators that may not be released. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has the authority to determine the release schedule for data, has not yet announced the publication plan for the latest statistical indicators. To catch up, the agency may choose to combine data for certain statistical projects from two months and release them together.