Government Shutdown 2025 Update: Work underway to restart after historic disruption
Maryland’s Glenn Ivey discusses the end of the government shutdown
Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey discusses the end to the government shutdown and the impact on health care and food benefits.
WASHINGTON - The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is officially over, at least on paper.
For many Americans, the fallout from the shutdown lingers as restoring government operations won’t happen overnight.
The 43‑day shutdown left a wide range of disruptions. Unpaid federal workers felt the impact immediately and directly. Others, from families relying on Head Start to households receiving food aid through SNAP, were hit as funding ran out.
Smithsonian reopening after government shutdown
The Smithsonian is starting to reopen all its facilities after the end of the federal government shutdown.
READ MORE: Government Shutdown 2025 Update: Trump signs bill, ending record 43 day disruption
As the shutdown dragged on, its impact spread across daily life. Passengers faced mounting delays and cancellations as the FAA ordered airlines to scale back flights amid air traffic controller shortages. Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed their doors, though the animals still received care.
Getting back to normal won’t happen overnight. Here’s a look at what reopening looks like:
Federal workers
THE IMPACT:
About 1.25 million federal workers went without pay after Oct. 1, missing an estimated $16 billion in wages. Many were furloughed or kept working without pay across government agencies. The strain left families struggling to make ends meet and delivered a blow to the Washington, D.C., economy.
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Office of Personnel Management announced on X that federal employees are expected back at work Thursday, with normal operations resuming on schedule. Back pay is set to arrive by Nov. 19, distributed in four phases depending on the agency, a senior administration official said.
Flight disruptions
THE IMPACT:
The shutdown disrupted aviation as unpaid air traffic controllers missed shifts under increasing financial strain, with some taking side jobs. Staff shortages, combined with troubling safety data, led the government to order airlines to cut flights over the past week to ease pressure on the system.
WHAT’S NEXT:
The FAA says flight cuts will remain in place until safety metrics improve, though airlines expect to resume normal operations quickly once the order is lifted. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said controllers and other FAA employees should receive about 70% of their back pay within 24 to 48 hours of the shutdown’s end, with the remainder to follow.
SNAP benefits
THE IMPACT:
One of the most visible impacts of the shutdown hit the SNAP program, which provides food aid to about 42 million people, roughly one in eight Americans in lower‑income households. Court rulings and shifting Trump administration policies produced a patchwork distribution of November benefits. Some states issued full payments, but about two‑thirds delivered only partial aid or none at all.
WHAT’S NEXT:
State officials said Thursday they are moving quickly to deliver full benefits to millions who missed their monthly payments. Some states reported SNAP recipients could see their full aid as soon as Friday, though in some cases it may take up to a week.
Head Start
THE IMPACT:
The shutdown stalled federal grant payments to Head Start, leaving centers scrambling. Some stayed open by furloughing staff or dipping into emergency reserves, while others shut down entirely, cutting off child care for thousands of families. Head Start serves children from birth to age 5 in households that meet federal low‑income guidelines, are homeless or receive public assistance. The program offers preschool education, developmental screenings and free meals.
WHAT’S NEXT:
The Office of Head Start will fast‑track funding and directly notify affected programs with timelines for federal payments, said Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The office is already operating at reduced capacity after substantial layoffs earlier this year. Even once money arrives, program leaders fear staffing shortages if furloughed employees have taken other jobs. Advocates warn it could take weeks for some centers nationwide to receive funding and fully restore operations.
Taxes
THE IMPACT:
The Internal Revenue Service closed its walk‑in assistance centers during the shutdown.
WHAT’S NEXT:
IRS walk‑in centers are reopening, but officials say all tax deadlines remain in effect. A backlog of paper correspondence built up during the shutdown, meaning responses will be delayed. Social Security payments continued without interruption, and local offices stayed open, though some services, such as replacing Medicare cards and updating earnings records, were temporarily suspended.
The military
THE IMPACT:
U.S. service members spent weeks anxious about paychecks as they continued working through the shutdown. The Trump administration ultimately covered two pay periods, but the process was tense and money was secured only days before each payday. For many with early direct deposit, pay arrived late, disrupting bill payments and triggering late fees or debt. Reimbursements for moving between bases, which affect about 400,000 military families annually, were paused. Weekend drills for reservists were also canceled, cutting off several hundred dollars in monthly pay for many.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Defense Department civilians began returning to work Thursday. An Air Force memo obtained by The Associated Press said employees could take a day of administrative leave or work remotely for up to a week. Military officials added that the impact on active‑duty troops has been minimal.
National parks
THE IMPACT:
National parks largely stayed open during the shutdown but operated with limited staffing. State governments and outside groups covered costs to keep visitor centers running and handle trash cleanup, while the Trump administration used previously collected entrance fees to pay for restroom cleaning and other basic services. Still, vandals defaced rock formations along Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park in Utah and toppled a stone wall at Devil’s Den in Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.
WHAT’S NEXT:
National Park Service employees returned to work Thursday, but rangers say it will take time to fully assess conditions, especially in backcountry areas. More damage could still be uncovered, said Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association. No entrance fees were collected during the shutdown, costing parks nearly $1 million a day in lost revenue.
Museums
THE IMPACT:
The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed Oct. 12, shutting down facilities that are normally open daily except Christmas. Together, the 20 locations drew more than 16 million visitors last year and employ more than 3,600 federal workers. During the zoo’s closure, popular livestreams of its giant pandas were offline, and the usually active social media feeds sharing animal updates and photos stopped posting. The animals, however, continued to receive food and care.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Two Smithsonian museums on the National Mall, the American History and Air and Space, were set to reopen Friday. The organization said on its website that the remaining Smithsonian sites in Washington and New York will reopen on a rolling basis by Monday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.