End of shutdown starts long process of rebooting the US government

The longest government shutdown in US history has ended, but it could take days – and in some cases a week or more – before normal operations resume.

Payroll systems must be updated to pay out weeks of back wages. Backlogs of grant disbursements, loan applications and customer calls that went unanswered for 43 days would need to be cleared. Delayed environmental permits, workplace inspections and contracting activities have stacked up across federal agencies.

The work of reopening the government could not officially launch until the funding bill passed both chambers of Congress and had President Donald Trump’s signature late on Wednesday. The White House’s budget office directed all federal employees who had been furloughed during the shutdown to return to work on Thursday.

Federal officials cautioned that some shutdown-related restrictions would linger. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that the administration aimed to start lifting flight curbs within a week after the government reopens, a time frame that comes just ahead of the busy Thanksgiving week travel holiday.

His forecast for a return to normality was backed up by Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, who told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday that Thanksgiving holiday travel should be “great”.