The government shutdown is expected to end Wednesday, when the House is poised to approve legislation passed by the Senate to resume funding; However, it could take weeks for operations to resume normally following this record closure.
Key data
Flights: It could take days or weeks for airlines to rebuild their flight schedules and stabilize staffing issues caused by air traffic controller absences, experts told USA Today and CNN, noting that Thanksgiving travel plans could be affected.
The shutdown has also led to more permanent employee losses, as more air traffic controllers retired, in addition to those who stopped showing up for work because they were working without pay; Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said between 15 and 20 people retired per day during the lockdown, compared to about four on a normal day.
Economic data: The Bureau of Labor Statistics is likely to release the September employment report shortly after the government shutdown ends, as it was originally scheduled to be released on Oct. 3, two days after the government shutdown, economists told the Wall Street Journal.
It is unclear how long October reports, including the producer price index and unemployment rate, will take, as some of the information comes from surveys that the BLS has not been conducting during the shutdown, while other information routinely submitted by companies has not yet been processed, as the entire agency has been on temporary leave.
SNAP payments: The Trump administration has sought to withhold all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments for November amid the government shutdown, and it is unclear how quickly food stamps could be distributed once President Donald Trump signs legislation to resume government funding.
Find out: Quarterly expectations for US airlines ‘lose height’ after ‘shutdown’
Some states have distributed partial payments, some with Democratic governors issued full payments before the Supreme Court halted them on Friday, and others have yet to distribute any SNAP money.
Museums: While most national parks remained open during the shutdown, the Smithsonian museums, the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the Washington Monument and the National Zoo closed. The National Zoo and Smithsonian museums reopened four days after the end of the 2019 shutdown, which was the most recent government shutdown before the current one and previously held the record for the longest shutdown in history.
Payment to suspended workers: Legislation passed by the Senate guarantees federal workers that they will receive retroactive pay once the government reopens, and the Fair Treatment of Government Employees Act requires agencies to issue retroactive pay checks “at the earliest practicable date after the shortfall ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.”
After the 35-day shutdown in 2019, it took more than two months for air traffic controllers to receive their full back pay, National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels told the Associated Press.
Tangent
The widespread pressure on the economy is expected to ease relatively quickly after the end of the shutdown, White House aides have said. However, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Friday that the impacts are worse than initially anticipated due to the long duration of the shutdown. Hassett added that GDP growth in the fourth quarter is expected to be half the 3% initially estimated.
More context: US Senate approves bill to end government shutdown and sends it to House of Representatives
Key background
The Senate voted 60-40 on Monday to end the government shutdown, after eight Democrats voted with all but one Republican to fund the federal government through January. Democrats agreed to the deal after Senate Republican leaders promised to vote next month on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, a key point of disagreement for Democrats during shutdown negotiations. Tuesday marked 42 days of the government shutdown.
This article was originally published by Forbes US
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