The hard task of rebooting the US government after 43-day shutdown • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Government Shutdown: A situation where non-essential government operations cease due to a failure of Congress to appropriate funds.
• Federal Workers: Employees of the United States federal government.
• Furlough: A temporary unpaid leave of absence from work.
• Back Pay: Compensation for wages lost during a period of unpaid leave or shutdown.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A federal program that provides food assistance to low-income Americans.
• Air Traffic Controllers: Essential personnel responsible for managing air traffic for safety.
• GDP (Gross Domestic Product): The total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period.
• Inflation: A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.
• Midterms: Elections held in the middle of a president's four-year term.

End of Longest US Government Shutdown

The United States government shutdown, which lasted for 43 days, has officially ended. President Donald Trump signed legislation to reopen the government after the House of Representatives voted to restart disrupted food assistance, pay federal workers, and revive the air traffic control system. The House vote passed with a margin of 222 to 209. House Democrats expressed anger that the standoff, initiated by Senate colleagues, did not secure an extension of federal health insurance subsidies.

President Trump's Statement

President Donald Trump stated, "Today, we're sending a clear message that we will never give into extortion because that's what it was. They tried to extort the Democrats tried to extort our country. Republicans never wanted a shutdown and voted 15 times for a clean continuation of funding." He further criticized the shutdown for causing tens of thousands of federal contractors and small businesses to go unpaid, with the full economic damage taking "weeks and probably months to really calculate accurately." Trump urged the American people not to forget this when considering future elections.

Impact and Backlog of the Shutdown

Business editor Sha Pelgrren detailed the significant backlog and challenges faced by government operations and individuals following the 43-day shutdown. The return to work involves sifting through accumulated mail, emails, and phone messages, processing delayed contractor payments, rebooting computer networks, and addressing the lack of maintenance in national parks.

Federal Workers:

• Approximately 600,000 federal workers were furloughed, meaning they were told not to work and were unpaid, though they still accrued sick days and paid leave.
• These workers have been ordered to return to work on Thursday.
• Both furloughed and essential workers who continued working are entitled to back pay.
• Senior administration officials indicated that the back pay process would begin on Saturday and be completed by November 19th.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):

• The SNAP program, which benefits 42 million low-income Americans, experienced disruptions.
• Due to legal uncertainty, beneficiaries did not receive their full benefits during the shutdown.
• There will be a delay of up to a week for recipients to receive their entitled benefits.
• States require this time to update beneficiary lists and load debit cards used for grocery purchases, which have replaced physical food stamps.

Economic Data:

• The release of key economic data by US government agencies was halted, leaving investors and central bankers "flying blind."
• It remains uncertain if the inflation and jobs report for October will be published.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to release a calendar in the coming days outlining the schedule for future data releases.

Air Travel Disruptions

Air travel was significantly impacted due to the shutdown, primarily affecting air traffic controllers, who are essential government workers.

• Working Without Pay: Air traffic controllers continued to work without pay, leading to increased sick leave and unscheduled time off.
• Reduced Flights: This staffing shortage forced the government to reduce the number of daily flights, resulting in over 10,000 flight cancellations and numerous delays.
• Logistical Nightmare: The cancellations created a logistical challenge for travelers and airlines, as pilots and crews were out of position for subsequent flights, requiring emergency reserve crews.
• Thanksgiving Travel: The easing of the shutdown is expected to improve conditions for the peak Thanksgiving travel season, starting November 27th, as more air traffic controllers return to work.
• American Airlines Statement: American Airlines reported a significant reduction in air traffic control staffing shortages, leading to fewer delays and cancellations for customers.
• Lingering Delays: Despite improvements, delays and cancellations are expected to persist.
• Back Pay for Controllers: During the previous shutdown, it took up to 2.5 months for air traffic controllers to receive full back pay. The Trump administration has pledged to expedite this process, with 70% of missed pay expected within 24-48 hours of reopening, and the remainder within a week.

Economic Impact

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the economic consequences of the prolonged shutdown.

• GDP Hit: A shutdown of this duration was calculated to result in a 1.5% hit to GDP in the current quarter.
• Unrecovered Output: While some of this loss is expected to be compensated in subsequent quarters, an estimated $7 to $14 billion in economic output will be permanently lost.

Political Fallout and Future Outlook

Regarding political repercussions, it is noted that public attention often shifts quickly after shutdowns, suggesting this may not be a significant factor in the upcoming 2026 midterms. However, the release of upcoming economic data, particularly concerning job creation and inflation, will be closely watched for any worrying trends.