Federal government shutdown ends after 43 days; Guam to see $54M in infrastructure resiliency and defense funding
BY SKYLER OBISPO
Journal Staff
On the evening of Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C., President Donald J. Trump signed a provisional government funding bill, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
The record shutdown lasted 43 days, causing many federal workers to be furloughed or work without pay, including air traffic controllers and some civilian defense personnel to include those in Guam.
Earlier that day, the House of Representatives advanced the bill with a slight majority. House Republicans leveraged their numbers to win the vote, 222-209.
Trump signed H.R. 5371 into law live on the White House’s YouTube channel, ending the 43-day-long government shutdown.
The measure will fund the federal government through January 30, 2026 and some federal programs will be completely funded till the end of fiscal year 2026, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Guam’s congressional delegate, James C. Moylan said that Guam will be reimbursed for advancing the SNAP program during the government shutdown.
In October 2025, the 38th Guam Legislature passed a stopgap funding measure proposed by Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, which appropriated $13.1 million to fund SNAP benefits for November.
“Guam is home to 3,372 federal employees, more than 43,000 SNAP recipients, over 9,000 [Women, Infant, and Children program] recipients, and more than 20,000 veterans — all of whom have been impacted,” he said. “Simply put, this bill gets us back on track, ensures funding for those who need it is in place, and turns the lights back on.”
Under the newly signed continuing resolution, SNAP and other food support programs for WIC families will receive $107.4 billion.
Additionally, Moylan said the island would receive roughly $54 million in Community Project Funds which would go toward road and bridge repairs, homelessness support, and public safety initiatives.
He said more than $4 million will go toward:
Hagåtña Fire Department Vehicle and Equipment ($112,500);
Tiyan Customs and Quarantine Integrated Emergency Response and Command System ($538,505);
WestCare Housing for Homeless in Chalan Pago ($990,000);
Todu Guam Foundation Health and Wellness Center (Phase 1) in Tamuning ($1.5 million); and
Chalan Pago-Ordot Multipurpose/Emergency Center ($689,206).
Additionally, Moylan said $762 million in Guam military construction funds and $50 million for the Defense Access Roads Program have been secured for the island.
At the Department of Defense level, the measure obligates $2.38 billion toward “construction and operation of facilities … until September 30, 2030.” These projects also include department-wide improvements to family and unaccompanied housing construction and upgrades.
Leon Guerrero said following the signing of the measure into law, “the signing of this funding bill is a positive step, but it also underscores the need for predictability and responsibility in federal governance.”
Guam deserves continuity, she said and the administration will work with its federal counterparts to restore services and distribute federal funds. mbj
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced in a Nov. 10 release in Washington, D.C. “key developments in its offshore critical minerals planning, with the completion of Area Identification offshore American Samoa and the release of a Request for Information and Interest for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”
The Mariana Islands is now without any Hard Rock Cafes, following the closure of the Guam close to the Dusit Beach Resort in Tumon on Nov. 9. According to Journal files, the restaurant opened on May 10, 1998. According to its site, Hard Rock International Inc. was acquired by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 2007.
The Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America held a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 6 for its Guam Additive Materials and Manufacturing Accelerator — the island’s first commercial 3D printing facility.
As the U.S. federal government shutdown continues, a variety of organizations in the islands and nationally have stepped forward to offer aid to affected U.S. military personnel, some of whom have been furloughed.
