The recent U.S. government shutdown, which lasted 43 days and became the longest in history, took a significant toll on the economy, disrupted air traffic, and put sizable pressures on low-income Americans relying on food assistance. Now, as the government revs back into action, the effects of the shutdown continue to ripple through local economies and the federal workforce, according to CW39.
Local impacts have been particularly harsh. Houston's Bush Airport faced elongated TSA lines and numerous flight delays, while food pantries in the area increased their services to assist those missing paychecks and SNAP benefits, CW39 reported. To make matters more concerning, Bill King, a Fellow in Public Finance at Rice University’s Baker Institute, highlighted reduced public confidence in the government as a lasting scar from the shutdown, telling CW39, "The most lasting thing is the lack of confidence, people worrying about, 'Could this happen again?'"
Despite government operations resuming, the undercurrents of deep political schisms persist. The funding agreement spurring the reopening appears to lack firm safeguards to prevent the President from withholding spending—in essence kicking the can of division further down the road. The nation was left almost equally faulting both Republicans and Democrats for the shutdown with a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing 50% and 47% of Americans blaming each party respectively.
As for federal employees, their awaited back pay will begin rollout on Saturday, and dismissals made during the shutdown have been ordered to reverse within five days, according to a White House statement obtained by Reuters. Air travel is estimated to normalize soon after thousands of flight cancellations due to absent air traffic controllers, and the 42 million Americans enrolled in SNAP should expect their assistance to be fully reinstated within 24 hours of the government’s reopening. Yet, the agreement funding the government prolongs the present contentions only until January 30, suggesting that another shutdown could loom on the horizon, as both sides remain steadfast in their political trenches.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that while the U.S. economy will recover most of the losses from the shutdown, about $14 billion in economic activity will be gone for good. The shutdown shows how political gridlock can hurt both government workers and citizens. Although SNAP concerns are easing and back pay is promised, full economic and political recovery is still uncertain, as per Reuters.
