Shutdown’s End Begins Slow Reboot of U.S. Government

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended, but it could take days — and in some cases a week or more — before federal operations return to normal, Gregory Korte and Allyson Versprille reported for Bloomberg News.

The work of reopening could not officially begin until the bipartisan funding bill cleared both chambers of Congress and received President Donald Trump’s signature. (Photo: The White House / Donald J. Trump X)

Payroll systems must be updated to issue weeks of back pay.

Backlogs of grant disbursements, loan applications, and tens of thousands of unanswered customer calls will need to be cleared. Environmental permits, workplace inspections, and contracting actions delayed for 43 days have stacked up across federal agencies.

The work of reopening could not officially begin until the bipartisan funding bill cleared both chambers of Congress and received President Donald Trump’s signature late Wednesday.

The White House budget office instructed all furloughed federal workers to return to work on Thursday. Still, officials warn that some restrictions will remain for the time being.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that the administration aims to lift flight curbs within a week of reopening — a timeline that would just meet the start of the heavy Thanksgiving travel period.