President Trump signs bill to reopen government

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Last updated: Thursday, November 13, 2025 5:20PM GMT
President Trump signs government funding bill, ending longest shutdown in US history

President Donald Trump late Wednesday night signed a funding bill that will end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

The House passed the bill by a 222-209 margin earlier in the evening. The Senate passed the bill on Monday.

The legislation will fund the government through Jan. 30 and provide funding for some government agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.

ABCNews logo
Nov 12, 2025, 11:41 AM GMT

Key House committee advances government funding package

The House Rules Committee voted 8-4 to advance the Senate-passed government funding package -- sending the legislation to the House floor for consideration.

The committee gaveled out the long hearing at 1:37 a.m. ET.

The House will next debate the measure, which could reopen the federal government, with the intention of holding votes as early as 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller and Alex Ederson

Nov 12, 2025, 12:06 AM GMT

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.

Duffy told reporters Tuesday that air traffic controllers will get 70% of their back pay within 24 to 48 hours of the reopening. He noted that more traffic controllers were showing up for work, as there were only four staffing triggers compared to 81 on Saturday.

MORE | Transportation Secretary Duffy says more pain to come before air traffic is back to normal

Duffy appeared at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on the same day the FAA increased its requirement of airlines to cut 6% of all domestic flights.

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.

ByMeredith Deliso and Ivan Pereira ABCNews logo
Nov 11, 2025, 10:50 PM GMT

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.

ByMeredith Deliso and Ivan Pereira ABCNews logo
Nov 11, 2025, 10:32 PM GMT

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.