(WASHINGTON) — After 43 days, the longest federal government shutdown in history is history after President Donald Trump late Wednesday night signed the funding bill passed in both chambers of Congress.
With the bill now signed, federal agencies and services are expected to immediately return to normal; however, some benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, will take a little time to be doled out.
The spending bill reopens and funds the federal government until Jan. 30, 2026, with some agencies like the Department of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs funded through the end of the fiscal year.
Here’s what to know about the government reopening.
When will federal employees return to work?
At least 670,000 federal employees were furloughed during the shutdown, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Furloughed employees are expected to return to work immediately and there is some indication that those orders have gone out to specific agencies.
Furloughed employees at Health and Human Services were told to “report for duty” on Thursday, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
“If HHS employees do not have previously approved leave scheduled, or do not get leave approved, then they will be “considered absent without leave (AWOL),” the memo reads.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) also told agencies Thursday that they should consider “the disruption in the lives and routines of furloughed employees.”
Back pay and undoing Trump firings
Federal workers deemed essential, including Capitol Police officers, Transportation Security Administration workers and air traffic controllers, were forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
During the shutdown, the administration issued layoffs through Reduction in Force orders for federal workers in various agencies.
All federal workers are entitled to back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, signed into law by Trump during the now-second-longest shutdown in his first term in office.
The law covers both furloughed employees and those required to work without pay during a government shutdown.
The funding bill includes additional language to reverse Trump administration firings during the shutdown and ensures that furloughed workers receive back pay.
It also includes language to prevent any additional reductions in force until the next government funding deadline on Jan. 30, 2026.
When will SNAP benefits get doled out?
The bill includes a provision to fully fund SNAP benefits through the end of September 2026.
The money is expected to be doled out soon, but the timetable has not been revealed by officials.
Federal courts ordered the administration to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown, however, the administration went to the Supreme Court to get the order paused as the appeals litigation continued.
On Thursday, the administration withdrew its case.
Solicitor General John Sauer said in a filing that the “underlying dispute here is now moot.”
When do D.C.’s museums open?
All of the Smithsonian museums have been closed since Oct. 12 after running out of funding.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazey Center will reopen on Nov. 14, according to a notice on its website.
“All other museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17,” the message read.
When will the air traffic system be fully staffed?
The shortage of air traffic controllers, who were not furloughed, was so dire during the shutdown that the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to reduce flights by 10% at 40 airports — leading to thousands of flights being canceled and delayed across the country.
As many as 15 to 20 controllers resigned during the shutdown, according to the Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Duffy told reporters Tuesday that air traffic controllers will get 70% of their back pay within 24 to 48 hours of the reopening.
It could take up to a week for air travel to return to normal operations after the government shutdown ends, Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu said at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
Sununu said he doesn’t see any impacts lasting into the holiday season.
“I don’t think any flights over the Thanksgiving week have actually been canceled yet. I think the airlines have been pretty tight working with the FAA looking a few days out to be sure,” he said.
Where do Obamacare subsidies stand?
Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that Democrats held out for during the shutdown were not included in the Senate deal to reopen the government, which passed with the help of eight moderate Democrats.
The enhanced ACA tax credits don’t expire until Dec. 31, and if no deal is reached, health premiums will jump for more than 20 million Americans.
Sources told ABC News on Monday that Senate Republican leadership promised to allow a vote on a bill of Democrats’ choosing related to the ACA in December.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to holding a vote in the House on the subsidies.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Wednesday filed a discharge petition to extend the Obamacare subsidies. He would need a few House Republicans to vote with Democrats for it to pass.
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