November 2025 Newsletter

By Kansas Action for Children | November 21, 2025 

Federal Shutdown Concludes – But Impacts Are Still Evident

In last month’s newsletter, the nation was on the cusp of a critical point in the federal shutdown. With the beginning of the month nearing, many advocates were worried about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) going unfunded into the month of November. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.

When Congress failed to pass a budget bill by the end of October, funding lapsed for SNAP and other programs that people rely on. Across the nation, there were an endless number of stories about food pantries running out of donations or food giveaways stretching miles.

These stories demonstrate how crucial food assistance benefits are to many low-income families, many of which include children. Without these critical programs, families go hungry and communities are relied upon to fill the gap.

After the funding lapse, the federal government fought in court so it wouldn’t be required to release billions in contingency funds that could have covered the SNAP shortfall. Eventually, the courts ruled against the federal government, and just a few days later, the federal shutdown concluded with the President signing Congress’ short-term budget bill on November 12.

Since then, funding has begun to flow once again. Even with the shutdown being “over,” many of the impacts remain, especially for people who had to cover the grocery budget gap due to not receiving SNAP on November 1 as expected.

Read our recent analysis on what we’re watching – especially since this next budget resolution only runs through January 30, 2026.

While the end of the shutdown brings some relief back to struggling Kansans and will help keep them afloat as they work to support their families, many are facing a health coverage crisis. Because the shutdown deal didn’t include an extension of the enhanced premium tax credits that would make insurance accessed through the ACA Marketplace more affordable, premiums on the Marketplace will become unfeasible for many families already living paycheck to paycheck.

However, as part of the shutdown deal, Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate agreed to hold a vote on the credits by mid-December, so there’s a possibility of those tax credits still being passed before the end of the year.

With open enrollment ending December 15, time is quickly running out for Congress to make federal marketplace coverage more affordable in 2026. If they fail to act, research shows that an estimated 73,000 Kansans won’t enroll in Marketplace coverage in 2026 and could go uninsured all together.

If you’re interested in learning more about the end of the federal government shutdown and why the enhanced premium tax credits are important, read these resources.

• The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is over. Here's what you need to know (NPR)
  
  
• The shutdown deal doesn’t extend expiring health subsidies. What happens to them now? (PBS)

Recent KAC Resources

Kansas Budget Process Timeline: Important Dates for Advocates. Budget advocacy should happen all year long to ensure advocates’ priorities are heard by key decisionmakers. We’ve updated our budget timeline and guide that lists out opportunities and when to expect different parts of the budget cycle to kick off. Read and download it here.

Budget Summary: Children's Initiatives Fund. Today, the CIF supports $64.1 million in Kansas programs. But the fund is facing challenges. More than $235 million has been transferred to cover state budget shortfalls from 2001 to 2018, and declining tobacco use means less revenue each year. Our new explainer breaks down how the CIF works and what can be done to strengthen it.

How Weightings Impact the Kansas School Finance Formula. As one staffer put it, “every facet of the formula is connected to something else,” and changes to one area could have larger impacts on other areas. In this summary about the Education Funding Task Force’s June meeting, we provide an overview of the Low and High Enrollment, Transportation, and Bilingual weightings, as well as the basics of how school districts’ funding is calculated. Read here.

State of the State Economy: Month of October 2025. The government shutdown resulted in a gap in important data for the month of October, but a combination of reporting and private-sector data offers us a glimpse into the state of the national economy, if not Kansas specifically. State revenues are 4.1% up from last year, yet unemployment is skyrocketing, with more than 150,000 positions being eliminated across the country in October. Read more about what the data is telling us about the state economy.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

With the holiday next week, we want to extend a warm thank you to everyone who supports our work. Whether it’s staying informed through these newsletters, engaging with lawmakers directly, or donating, we appreciate your efforts in making Kansas the best place for kids.

Truly, our work can only go so far without dedicated, engaged Kansans like you who champion policies that protect and strengthen Kansas families.

We hope you have a warm and joyful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and great food!