A passenger travels to the gates during the government shutdown in Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Nov. 10, 2025.
With SNAP food assistance benefits suspended during the government shutdown, people participate in a food distribution 1000 people in the parking lot at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood, New Jersey, on Nov. 12, 2025.

The ripple effects of the longest ever government shutdown are slowly alleviating after the federal funding impasse officially ended on Nov. 12.

President Donald Trump signed legislation on Nov. 12 that reopened the federal government after the House of Representatives voted 222-209 to pass a funding package. Two days earlier, the Senate set the deal in motion despite some Democrats ripping colleagues who made concessions to pass the agreement.

Meantime, as lawmakers argued over key issues like Affordable Care Act subsidies, the 43-day crisis left millions of Americans unable to afford food, travel or work as usual.

As the government enters its first full week of regular operations since the shutdown, here's a look at what's still impacted.

Are flights still restricted? FAA lifts limits

The Federal Aviation Administration said it lifted restrictions on commercial flights at 40 major U.S. airports around the country as of Nov. 17.

The limits had been imposed during the shutdown because of safety concerns as air traffic controllers stopped showing up to work without pay, prompting thousands of flight cancelations.

In the Nov. 16 news release, the FAA said air traffic controller staffing levels have "continued to snap back into place" since the end of the shutdown.

Federal workers get back pay, return to work

Some 750,000 federal workers were furloughed during the shutdown, while others were considered essential and required to work without pay. All we ordered to return to their jobs on Nov. 13 after the government reopened.

While most federal employees were not paid during the lapse in funding, some, including military members and homeland security officers, received paychecks under special conditions. All workers impacted by the shutdown are entitled to the back pay they missed during the period.

A senior Trump administration official confirmed to USA TODAY on Nov. 13 that departments were aiming to send out checks covering back pay between Nov. 15-19, depending on the agency. Because agencies have different payroll providers and payment processes, timing could vary, the official said.

SNAP payments to resume

The millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should see relief soon if they haven't already.

Payments for the SNAP program, which provides benefits for low-income families to access food, were paused on Nov. 1 amid the shutdown. It sparked a back-and-forth of court rulings over whether Trump's administration would be required to issue payments anyway.

Now that the shutdown is over, SNAP payments are rolling out on varying bases depending on the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture told USA TODAY on Nov. 12 that payments would resume within 24 hours of the government reopening for most states.

Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center, told USA TODAY that people could start to receive them in a few days or even a week, depending on the state.

Are museums open after shutdown?

Smithsonian museums were set to reopen on a rolling basis starting Friday, Nov. 14 after the shutdown ended.

The Smithsonian Institute said in a social media statement that the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center would reopen on Nov. 14, while the National Zoo would reopen on Nov. 15.

All other museums and research centers would reopen on a rolling basis by Monday, Nov. 17, the Institute said.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, Eve Chen, Michelle Del Rey and Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From flights to SNAP, do effects of government shutdown still linger?

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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