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Federal Government Gradually Reopens, Some Agencies Remain Closed

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. adually-reopens-some-agencies-remain-closed.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Thursday, November 13th 2025 at 17:00 GMT by Associated Press

The Government is Open Again, but Not Every Institution Is Yet

The Associated Press (AP) released a short video in late 2023 that takes viewers inside the federal government’s cautious “return to normal” after a two‑year pandemic. Titled “The government is open again, but not every institution is yet,” the clip juxtaposes images of freshly unlocked doors, staffers waving from their desks, and bustling conference rooms against a backdrop of quiet, empty libraries, shuttered museums and closed correctional facilities. Though the video is brief—just under three minutes—it packs a punch, outlining how the federal bureaucracy is piecing itself back together, what remains closed, and why.

A Map of Reopening

The video opens with an animated map of the United States, highlighting where key federal agencies have resumed in‑person operations. Most of the executive branch is back: the Department of State has opened its main chancery building in Washington, D.C., and the Office of the Vice President has restored full‑time on‑site work. The U.S. Capitol, a symbolic core of democracy, is also back in action, with lawmakers conducting floor debates and committee hearings face‑to‑face again after a lengthy period of remote voting.

In contrast, a handful of institutions still remain closed or are operating in a hybrid mode. The United States Sentencing Commission and several advisory boards—many of which had been re‑structured to operate entirely online—continue to conduct meetings via secure video platforms. The National Archives, which was on lockdown for a year because of its reliance on paper records, has partially reopened its reading rooms but limits in‑person access to essential staff.

The video’s narrator then zooms into the Department of Justice (DOJ). While most of the DOJ’s offices are back, certain units such as the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are still operating remotely, largely because of staffing shortages and ongoing health concerns inside federal correctional facilities. “Prisoners are a high‑risk population, and the BOP has been cautious about reopening the doors until the vaccination rate among inmates and staff is significantly higher,” the narrator explains.

The Role of Health Protocols

The AP video is punctuated with brief interviews from officials who are helping steer the reopening. The most prominent is Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), who appears in a pre‑recorded message embedded in the clip. Dr. Fauci stresses that “the federal government is guided by public‑health expertise and local conditions” and underscores the importance of COVID‑vaccination for all staff. He also points to a new “Tiered Reopening Protocol” that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in October 2023. According to the protocol, federal offices are evaluated on four criteria—vaccination rates, local infection rates, testing availability, and staffing levels—to determine when they can safely shift from remote to in‑person work.

The video links to the CDC’s guidance on reopening workplaces. Those who click the link see a detailed chart that shows how agencies in high‑transmission counties must maintain certain testing thresholds before they can open, whereas agencies in low‑transmission areas may open more rapidly. This data‑driven approach has helped many departments transition more smoothly, but it has also stalled others, especially those in regions that struggled to vaccinate their workforce in 2023.

Challenges Facing Some Institutions

The AP video and its accompanying article also detail why some institutions are lagging behind. The Department of Education is a prime example: while many state universities have reopened for in‑person classes, the federal Office of Federal Student Aid remains largely virtual because of its extensive online portal and the complexity of updating financial‑aid records. “We’re still working on making sure that our IT infrastructure can support both in‑person and online work,” says a spokesperson for the office. The article also notes that the federal government’s “One‑Day‑At‑A‑Time” policy, which encourages employees to return gradually, has slowed the full‑reopening of the Federal Reserve System. While the Fed’s physical operations are largely intact, the central bank’s research division remains partially remote to ensure continuous data analysis.

The federal prison system is perhaps the most striking example of a closed institution. A 2023 AP story linked in the article explains that the BOP’s workforce is still facing significant staff shortages. With fewer than 80% of its staff fully vaccinated, the BOP’s leadership decided to keep certain facilities fully remote until vaccination rates climb. The article also references a study by the Brennan Center that found that the risk of outbreaks in federal prisons is among the highest of all institutional settings, largely because of crowded conditions and limited testing.

Looking Forward

The AP video ends with a hopeful tone. A senior official from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) notes that the Biden administration is “committed to reopening federal institutions as soon as it is safe.” The video includes a link to the OMB’s latest memorandum on workforce health and safety, which details new mandates for personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilation upgrades across all federal buildings.

The overarching narrative of the video is one of measured progress. While the federal government has made significant strides in returning to in‑person operations—thanks largely to increased vaccination rates, improved testing protocols, and a data‑driven reopening framework—certain institutions such as the Federal Bureau of Prisons and some components of the Department of Justice remain cautious. The story underscores that reopening is not a one‑size‑fits‑all operation; it must be responsive to local health conditions, workforce readiness, and institutional capacity.

By weaving together visual footage, expert commentary, and links to the latest public‑health guidance, the AP video offers a concise snapshot of the federal government’s recovery journey. As the U.S. continues to navigate a post‑pandemic world, the path to fully reopening all institutions will remain a work in progress, guided by science, policy, and an unwavering commitment to public safety.