CaliToday (13/11/2025): The federal government is officially reopening, bringing an end to the longest and most disruptive shutdown in United States history.
In a move late Wednesday night (US time), President Donald Trump signed a temporary spending bill, formally concluding the bitter 43-day stalemate. The signing came just hours after the House passed the measure, following a Senate vote earlier in the week.
Federal employees, hundreds of thousands of whom have been furloughed or working without pay for over a month, are expected to return to work today, November 13.
The End of a Paralyzing Crisis
The 43-day shutdown had a deep and widespread impact across the nation, crippling government services and straining the economy. The crisis reached a breaking point in its final days, most visibly in the nation's travel infrastructure.
On its final day alone, the shutdown was responsible for over 900 flight cancellations as shortages of unpaid air traffic controllers and TSA agents created a cascading failure across the aviation system.
The impact on citizens was equally severe. The shutdown halted critical services, including the suspension of food assistance programs (SNAP) for millions of low-income Americans. National parks were shuttered, and scientific research was frozen.
"Never Again"
In signing the bill at the White House, President Trump expressed his frustration with the process, stating, "The government should never be allowed to shut down again. This is not how to run a country."
The legislation is a temporary funding measure, not a long-term budget deal, but it provides immediate relief and allows operations to resume. Federal agencies will now begin the massive logistical task of restarting services and processing a significant backlog of work, including back pay for its employees.
As federal workers return to their posts today, the nation is breathing a collective sigh of relief, though the economic and political scars of the record-setting shutdown are expected to linger.