U.S. Government Shutdown Ends: What's Next?

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended, exposing political divisions and affecting millions of Americans. A temporary deal is in place, but future funding remains uncertain. Federal workers await promised pay, and the economic, political, and social impacts continue to reverberate.

The United States government is set to resume operations following the longest shutdown in the nation's history, which severely disrupted air travel, curtailed assistance for low-income families, and left over one million federal workers unpaid for more than a month.

The political stalemate responsible for the 43-day shutdown remains unsolved, highlighting deep divisions between the Republican-led administration and Congressional Democrats. However, the temporary funding deal lacks measures to prevent President Donald Trump from leveraging spending in future negotiations.

While 1.4 million federal workers are scheduled to receive back pay, the nation's economic pulse remains shaken. The hiatus's financial toll includes delayed economic data, stalled small business loans, and stunted consumer confidence as the holiday season approached.

(With inputs from agencies.)