What we know about pending government reopening, as record-long shutdown nears end
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on November 11, 2025
(WASHINGTON) — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is close to being over as the House is slated to convene on Wednesday to vote on the federal spending bill.
The Senate passed the measure Monday night with eight members of the Democratic caucus joining Republicans.
President Donald Trump said he supports the deal, and pushed for its passage in the House. If it passes and if Trump signs it, federal agencies and services are expected to immediately return.
Here’s what to know about the implications of the bill that addresses SNAP benefits, federal workers and more.
When will the government reopen?
The bill reopens the government through Jan. 30, 2026, starting at the time Trump signs the legislation.
Some agencies, like the Department of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, will be funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.
When will SNAP benefits resume?
The bill includes a provision to fully fund SNAP benefits through the end of September 2026.
The money will immediately go out to SNAP beneficiaries once the bill is signed.
Federal courts ordered the administration to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown, however, the Supreme Court paused the order as the appeals litigation continued.
When will federal workers go back to work?
At least 670,000 federal employees were furloughed during the shutdown, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Furloughed workers will be expected to return to work after the bill is signed.
When will employees receive back pay?
Federal workers deemed essential, including Capitol Police officers, TSA workers and air traffic controllers, had been forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
During the shutdown, the administration issued layoffs for federal workers in various agencies.
The Senate bill includes language to reverse Trump administration firings due to the shutdown and ensures that furloughed workers receive back pay.
Trump signaled Monday that he would abide by the Senate reversing his administration’s mass firing.
“I will be. I’ll abide by the deal. The deal is very good,” Trump told ABC News’ Karen Travers.
All federal workers are entitled to back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which was signed into law by Trump during his first term in office.
The law covers both furloughed employees and those required to work without pay during a government shutdown.
When will air traffic controllers be fully staffed?
The shortage of air traffic controllers, who were not furloughed, was so dire during the shutdown that the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to reduce flights by 10% at 40 airports — leading to thousands of flights being canceled and delayed across the country.
As many as 15-20 resigned during the shutdown, according to the Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Amid the shutdown, Trump said in a social media post on Monday that he was recommending a $10,000 bonus to air traffic controllers who did not take any time off during the shutdown, though he did not provide specifics on how that would be done.
To those who took time off, he said, “I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” and called for them to leave the profession “with NO payment or severance of any kind,” despite ongoing staffing shortages.
Once the Department of Transportation sees staffing levels return to pre-shutdown levels, it will ease the 10% flight cuts.
It is still unknown how the controllers will respond to the shutdown’s waning hours.
When will flights go back to normal?
It is not immediately clear how long it will take for flights return to their normal schedules and capacity once the spending bill is signed.
When asked on Monday by ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers if he could guarantee to Americans that travel will go back to normal once the government re-opens, Trump responded, “It’ll go better than normal,” and talked about upgrading technology in control towers, though he did not address the personnel issues.
Where do ACA subsidies stand?
Affordable Care Act subsidies demanded by Democrats were not included in the Senate bipartisan deal to reopen the government.
The enhanced ACA tax credits don’t expire until Dec. 31, and if no deal is reached, health premiums will jump for over 20 million Americans.
Sources told ABC News Monday that Senate Republican leadership promised to allow a vote on a bill of Democrats’ choosing related to the ACA in December.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that he would not commit to holding a vote in the House on the subsidies.
– ABC News’ Justin Gomez, Alexandra Hutzler and Sam Sweeny contributed to this report.
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