“With my signature, the federal government will resume normal operations.” The words of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, put an end to almost 43 days of government shutdown due to lack of resources, the longest in history, due to the acrimony of Republicans and Democrats in expanding the budget. Thousands of public workers returned to work this Wednesday after six weeks without pay. Others had continued to hold their positions, even though they were not even receiving a salary. An estimated 600,000 officials continued to do their jobs despite not making the payroll. And many others were sent home until the end of the year. stopas it is known in English at the close.
Dozens of federal agencies have been suspended or operating at half-engine due to budget shortfalls. Museums, national parks, administrative offices and other state services hung closed signs for 43 days.
The administrative blockade affects airports. Last week, Transport Minister Sean Duffy ordered the restriction of air traffic at 40 of the country’s major airports starting Friday, citing a tense situation across the system due to staff shortages.
Thousands of air traffic controllers and airport staff were absent from work or required medical leave during the six-week closure. Due to the blockade, the federal administration was unable to pay their salaries. Many have had to look for other jobs to be able to pay for the mortgage on their house, their children’s schooling, their car payment or simply for food. In the United States there is a high percentage of families who live hand to mouth.
Last Friday, more than 4,000 flights were affected by delays and cancellations. More than 100,000 travelers have suffered some type of accident on their flights due to the reduction in air traffic. Between Friday and Wednesday there were queues, delays and more than 10 thousand flights were cancelled, with hundreds of thousands of people affected.
This Thursday, however, after the Government reopened, flight cancellations were reduced compared to Monday. According to flight data manager FlightAware, 1,032 flights were canceled from US airports this Wednesday and another 3,895 were delayed.
The air control portal predicts that 608 flights will be canceled this Friday. Although during the day the figure may change. If confirmed, it would be the day with the lowest number of accidents since the airspace restriction was decreed last Friday. It is expected that before Thanksgiving, November 27, the most popular holiday in the United States, when there is the greatest movement of people to spend the night with their families, air traffic will be restored to almost 100%.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially maintains a 6% reduction at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, but federal officials on Wednesday put plans to expand those restrictions on ice. In the coming hours, according to the report, airlines are expected to be allowed to restore their full flight schedules once it is safe to do so. The New York Times.
US President Donald Trump criticized controllers who were absent from work during the government shutdown. And he proposed granting an extraordinary bonus of 10 thousand dollars to those who continued to work, without missing a shift, despite not receiving a salary.
The US airline system was already under great stress before the government shutdown. A high percentage of the 13,000 air traffic controllers were on leave. There were also 3,000 vacancies waiting to be filled. The administrative closure has aggravated a situation that will not be resolved in a few weeks.
In addition to incidents at airports, officials from dozens of federal agencies are expected to return to office this Thursday, and federal courts, museums, offices and other federal services are expected to resume operations. In some agencies the resumption of activity has been gradual.
The return to full normality will take time. While many federal workers have returned to work and reunited with colleagues, many other federal services have remained closed. This is the case of some of the most important museums in the country.
The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education and research complex with 21 museums, has announced a phased opening of its facilities. Three of its museums will reopen their doors this Friday. These are the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Other museums and facilities in the Smithsonian network will reopen before Monday, according to the organization’s website.
It is also expected that the national park network will resume its normal activity in the next few hours. While most of the 63 national parks kept their gates open, many were at half-throttle and with limited services due to a lack of staff.
The largest government shutdown in history has left its mark on the economy. The director of the White House Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, assured Thursday that the government shutdown cost $14 billion, a figure equivalent to 1.5% of GDP, according to the report. Times. The blow to the economy was particularly sensitive in the capital and in neighboring states such as Virginia and Maryland. Hassett estimates that nearly 60,000 jobs have been lost due to the impact of the budget freeze.
The Trump administration took advantage of the government shutdown to fire thousands of officials, under the guise of making public services more efficient. The measure caused a great stir because it was not justified. The Office of Personnel Management issued a statement that layoffs of federal workers who lost their jobs during the lockdown will be reversed.
