After thousands of cancelled flights, billions of dollars in economic loss and over a million federal employees furloughed, the U.S. government shutdown ended Wednesday with a bill deciding government spending for the fiscal year 2026. The House of Representatives passed the bill 222-209 and President Donald Trump signed it that evening, temporarily funding agencies until Jan. 30 of next year.

After the shutdown, flights remain cancelled at the same rate as before, amidst the return of federal workers’ paychecks. Air travel is predicted to return to standard functionality in the next week as air traffic controllers return and flight mandates are lifted. Backpay — earnings from the six-week unpaid period during the shutdown — and current salaries for controllers and other federal employees are anticipated to recur in the coming days. 

The shutdown additionally paused the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food-paying benefits to low-income families, for the first time in U.S. history. SNAP supported more than 41 million Americans in 2024, about one in eight Americans. Aid is expected to resume across the nation in the upcoming few days, with Iowan beneficiaries beginning to recieve full November benefits Friday, one day after the shutdown’s conclusion.

The bill will fund the government through January 2026, with certain programs — including SNAP — financed until Sept. 30, when the 2026 fiscal year ends.