Vice President JD Vance on Thursday pushed back against a federal court ruling that directed the Donald Trump administration to make full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments for November, arguing judges shouldn't dictate spending choices during a shutdown.
Vance Decries Judicial Overreach In Shutdown Standoff
"It's an absurd ruling because you have a federal judge effectively telling us what we have to do in the middle of a Democrat government shutdown," Vance said, speaking to The Hill during a White House roundtable with Central Asian leaders.
Vance added that the administration wants "the Democrats to open up the government," after which SNAP could be funded alongside "a lot of other good things," but "in the midst of a shutdown, we can't have a federal court telling the president how he has to triage the situation."
Federal Judge Rejects Partial SNAP Payments Plan
His remarks followed U.S. District Judge John McConnell's decision earlier on Thursday rejecting the administration's plan to provide only partial November benefits by tapping contingency funds, saying the approach did not comply with his earlier order and would leave millions short.
According to a Reuters report, the judge directed the government to fund the month fully and criticized delays associated with partial payments. The Justice Department said it would appeal, leaving the timing and amount of assistance uncertain.
Appeal Leaves Millions Unsure About November Benefits
The administration had previously signaled it would halt or sharply reduce aid during the record-long shutdown, which has disrupted federal services and financing across agencies. After initial legal challenges, officials moved to cover only a fraction of benefits from limited reserves, before McConnell ruled the plan insufficient and ordered full funding by Friday for roughly 42 million recipients.
Vance also took a swipe at Democrats on social media, warning that although the administration has "shielded the American people from the worst of the consequences, all of this is coming, and soon," as the shutdown drags on.
Read Next:
Photo courtesy: Lev Radin on Shutterstock.com
