Federal Agencies Return to Work After 43 days Longest, History
Federal workers and poor Americans bore the
brunt of the 43-day fiscal standoff, but it also took a toll on the broader economy.
Immediate
Effects
·
Federal agencies reopened
Thursday, Nov 13, 2025, ending the longest government shutdown in history (43
days).
·
Federal workers, many of whom had gone without
pay, returned to offices. Hundreds of support staff (e.g., clerks, assistants)
in the courts had worked unpaid.
Public
Services Resuming
·
National Parks: Dozens reopened fully; many had
operated with minimal or no staff.
·
Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo in
Washington, D.C.: Reopening scheduled between Friday and Monday.
·
Federal Courts: Returned to normal dockets after
weeks of postponements, though a backlog of hearings remains.
Economic
and Social Impact
·
Federal employees and poor Americans:
o
Major hardship—especially due to the suspension of
key programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
o
Many families were waiting for grocery assistance
to resume, with most states promising full benefits by the start of next week.
Some states processed payments immediately.
o
During the shutdown, the Agriculture Department
refused to use contingency funds for SNAP, bringing the matter to the Supreme
Court.
·
Economic loss:
o
Kevin Hassett (White House National Economic
Council) estimated shutdown cost:
§ $15
billion/week
§ Up to 1.5%
of GDP
§ Roughly 60,000
nonfederal workers lost jobs due to indirect
effects
o
Air traffic restrictions have begun to ease,
reducing risks of travel disruption during the Thanksgiving holiday peak.
Recovery
Notes
·
SNAP benefit payments: By
Thursday evening, more than 3 million
households were still missing November deposits, but rapid progress was
anticipated.
·
Courts and parks: Full
normalcy will take days to achieve; federal judges face large backlogs.
·
Museums: Still closed to the public
temporarily, which disappointed many visitors.
Summary
Table
|
Sector |
Status/Effects |
Timeline/Notes |
|
Federal
Agencies |
Reopened |
After
43-day shutdown |
|
National
Parks |
Fully
open |
Staff
returning |
|
Smithsonian |
Reopening
Fri–Mon |
Museums,
Zoo, Centers |
|
SNAP
Benefits |
Resuming,
rapid catch-up |
Most by
Monday, some states faster |
|
Economic
Impact |
Losses,
jobs, GDP down |
$15B/week,
1.5% GDP, 60,000 jobs lost |
|
Air
Travel |
Restrictions
easing |
Thanksgiving
rush less at-risk |
|
Federal
Courts |
Returning,
facing backlog |
Support
staff unpaid, high caseload |
The
federal government slowly clicked back into gear on Thursday (13.11.2025) after
the longest shutdown in history, allowing dozens of national
parks to fully reopen, federal courts to resume their normal dockets and agency
employees to stream back into offices that had sat vacant for 43 days.
The
most acute fallout from the fiscal standoff in Congress involved federal workers
who went without pay and the poorest Americans, who were hit by the suspension of
several critical programs, including food benefits.
But
the shutdown also left lasting marks on the broader economy. Kevin Hassett, the
director of the White House National Economic Council, said it cost about $15 billion
a week, or as much as 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product, the broadest measure
of goods and services produced in the economy. And he estimated that 60,000 nonfederal workers lost their jobs because of the economic impact
of the shutdown.
The
full reopening of the government will take time, as disappointed visitors to museums
in Washington, D.C., learned on Thursday when they encountered “closed” signs. The
Smithsonian network plans to reopen museums, research centers
and the National Zoo between Friday and Monday.
Families
across the country were anxiously waiting for benefits from the government’s largest
anti-hunger program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to
flow smoothly again.
Agriculture
Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said most people would see the grocery assistance by
Monday. At least seven states — Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, South Carolina,
Utah, West Virginia — said it could be as soon as Thursday and Friday because they
had already taken steps to load benefits cards.
The
Agriculture Department issued guidance on Thursday directing states to take “immediate
steps to ensure households receive their full November allotments promptly.” During
the shutdown, the agency refused to use a contingency fund to deliver full SNAP
benefits, taking its argument to the Supreme Court.
Propel,
a company that offers a free app to help participants manage SNAP benefits, estimated
that, as of Thursday evening, more than 3 million households out of 22 million were
still missing their November deposits, though that number is likely to decrease
rapidly as states issue deposits.
In
other sectors of the government, air traffic restrictions put in place by the Federal
Aviation Administration in the last week began to ease, alleviating concerns of
a travel crisis heading into the busy Thanksgiving holiday season.
And
federal courts largely returned to normal operations. But after more than 40 days
of triaging and delaying less-urgent hearings, federal judges are approaching the
holidays with an even larger pileup than usual.
Unlike
federal judges, who were paid throughout the shutdown, hundreds of clerks, assistants
and other courthouse staff had worked without pay.
The
toll of the shutdown could also be seen at some national parks, as most remained
partially open during the shutdown with little to no staff.