Dear friends and neighbors,
The federal government shutdown has stretched to 37 days, the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, and Washingtonians are feeling the impact. I wish we all had more clarity about how specific programs are impacted during this shutdown, but I wanted to share what we know now.
HeadStart, the early learning and childcare program funded by the federal government, is at risk. Federal funding for this program stopped as of November 1. Some childcare providers are looking at options to stay open for longer, but it’s uncertain if they’ll be reimbursed for any of those costs. In Educational Service District 121, which serves King and Pierce counties, 1,300 kids are at risk of losing services. Over 3,000 kids are at-risk statewide.
Many families in our community rely on this program for childcare. These care opportunities also help ensure that kids are getting access to nutrition they need. These childcare centers also provide jobs for people in our community; all of that is at risk now that funding has lapsed.
 You’ve probably also seen coverage about SNAP funding, the federal government’s food assistance program that has helped keep food on the table for nearly 1 million Washington residents. President Trump illegally directed the US Department of Agriculture to end funding for SNAP on November 1. It’s the first time that there has been a lapse in SNAP payments since the program began six decades ago. Governor Ferguson has directed $2.2 million a week to help cover this gap. Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit to help restore this funding, two federal judges have agreed, and now the Trump administration is suggesting it will pay half of the normal benefits.
This choice from the Trump administration will have dire consequences. According to the Washington Department of Social and Health Services 930,000 Washingtonians are now at risk of losing food assistance — 33% are children. If you’re unsure of what this means for your family, you can learn more here, and you can find additional food assistance in Pierce County here. |
In addition to these impacts, many federal employees in our district are furloughed or working without pay while the government shutdown continues. Pierce Transit has worked with Kitsap County and Mason County to help provide free transportation to federal government employees during this period. You can learn more about that program here.
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The House Page Program is accepting applications for next session, and I’d love to sponsor students from our district. If you know a student who is at least 14 years of age, but has not reached their 17th birthday, we would love to have them come to Olympia for a week to learn more about how our state government works. Students page for one week at a time, attending a Page School to learn more about the legislative process. They also support the operations of the House during floor action and other daily tasks.
Pages receive a stipend for their time and can earn community service hours. This year is a short session, so we’ll be accepting pages from Jan. 11, 2026 – March 12, 2026.
The program is open to all and I welcome applications from students of all backgrounds who live in or attend school in the 27th District. Several years ago, a scholarship program was established to encourage any student, regardless of income level, to apply for and participate in the Page Program. The scholarship offsets the costs of traveling to and staying in Olympia.
You can learn more about the program here, and apply for the program here. You can also check out this interview I did with Viviane, who paged in the House during the 2023 session.
I’m looking forward to meeting this year’s 27th LD pages!
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