President Trump signs bill ending longest government shutdown: What's next
By the numbers: The government shutdown's toll on air travel in the US
US President Donald Trump signed a bill after the House passed, ending the longest US federal government shutdown, US media reported.
Trump signed the bill to end the government shutdown after the House passed legislation, as per US media reports.
Following the bill's signing, analysts have weighed in on its potential impact on the Affordable Care Act, as Democrats plan to continue fighting for subsidies.
What's next?
After President Trump signed the House-passed bill to end the shutdown, federal agencies will begin the process of reopening.
Here’s what happens next:
Immediate reopening steps
Federal workers return: Federal employees who were furloughed will receive instructions from their agencies to return to work. Most are expected back on the job as soon as the next business day following the bill’s signing, as per ABC News.
Back pay: The legislation ensures that furloughed federal workers receive back pay for the days they were out of work during the shutdown.
Resumption of services: National parks, museums, government offices, and non-essential services that were shuttered will reopen. Processing of permits, government grants, and federal benefit programs will resume their usual schedule.
Ongoing impacts & tTransition
Travel and safety delays: It will take several days to address flight delays, airport disruptions, and service backlogs caused by the shutdown. Agencies and contractors need time to fully resume normal operations, according to CBS.
Public program restoration: Payments and processing for federal programs like food stamps, IRS tax refunds, and others will ramp back up, but restoration of normal processing times may take days or weeks depending on the backlog.
Missed deadlines: Some federal contracts and projects delayed during the shutdown will get new timelines for delivery and completion.
Political and fiscal outlook
Temporary funding: The bill only funds the government until January 30, 2026, creating another potential funding “cliff” and a deadline for Congress to negotiate a longer-term budget deal.
Why the shutdown happened
Under the Antideficiency Act, a key federal law passed in 1884 and amended in 1950, US government agencies are strictly prohibited from spending or obligating any public funds unless authorised by congressional appropriations.
This means agencies cannot legally enter into contracts, pay for services, or commit resources without money approved by Congress for that specific purpose.
What is the 'power of the purse'?
This legal restraint is rooted in Article One, Section 9 of the US Constitution, which gives Congress exclusive “power of the purse” over federal spending.
If Congress does not pass any of the 12 annual appropriation bills required to fund government operations, federal agencies must halt all non-essential activities until new funding is approved — a situation known as a government shutdown.
Essential operations, such as national security, emergency services, and activities authorised by special statute, may continue.
What is partial shutdown?
If Congress passes funding for only some agencies by enacting fewer than all 12 appropriation bills, only agencies lacking appropriations must cease operations.
This is called a partial shutdown.
Overall, the Antideficiency Act ensures that public funds are spent only for legislatively authorized purposes, with strict penalties for violations—including administrative and even criminal sanctions for government employees who exceed appropriations or obligate funds improperly.
What are the effects of the shutdown?
America’s aviation system is straining under the weight of the longest government shutdown on record: thousands of flight cancellations, long delays at major airports and frustrated travelers nationwide.
In an unprecedented move, the Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered airlines to scale back domestic flight schedules, saying the cuts are meant to ease pressure on an overstretched system and help manage air traffic control staffing.
Unpaid for more than a month, some air traffic controllers have begun calling out of work, citing stress and the need to take on second jobs — leaving more control towers and facilities short-staffed.
The numbers show the shutdown's toll on air travel:
1.4 million
Estimated number of federal employees unpaid due to the US federal government shutdown.
40
Major U.S. airports where all commercial airlines have been required to cancel flights since November 7 under the FAA's orders. The list spans more than two dozen states and includes large hubs such as New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago.
12
Airports on the FAA's list of 40 where the agency also prohibited business jets and many private flights from landing.
4%
The initial reduction in flight schedules ordered by the FAA.
6%
The current flight reduction rate that the FAA's says it is keeping in place instead of requiring airlines to make a 10% cut by Friday, as originally planned. The head of the agency and the U.S. transportation secretary on Wednesday cited improved controller staffing following news of a pending deal to end the shutdown.
1.9 million
Daily passengers who use the 40 airports where flights have been reduced, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
5.2 million
Passengers who have been affected by staffing-related delays or cancellations since the government shutdown began on October 1, according to Airlines for America. The industry trade group represents Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.
10,100
Flights cancelled between Nov. 7, the first day of the FAA-required cuts, and Wednesday evening, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.
30
The average number of air traffic control facilities where the FAA warned of potential staffing issues during the six weekends since the shutdown began. That is almost four times the number on weekends this year before the shutdown, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans sent through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system.
$10,000
How much President Donald Trump suggested air traffic controllers should receive as a bonus if they didn't miss any days of work during the shutdown. Trump also threatened docking pay for those who haven't stayed on the job.
$285 million to $580 million
The daily U.S. economic impact once the FAA's 10% cuts take effect, according to Airlines for America, which said its estimate factors in reduced visitor spending, state and local tax revenue and spending across the broader economy.
[With inputs from AP]
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