By Mark Swanson | Thursday, 06 November 2025 10:50 PM EST
Vice President JD Vance criticized a federal court decision mandating full funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November, calling the ruling “absurd” and an overreach during a government shutdown.
“Irresponsible,” Vance stated during a roundtable with Central Asian leaders at the White House, asserting that a federal judge should not dictate spending priorities amid a Democratic-led shutdown. He emphasized the administration’s desire to restore full SNAP funding once Democrats agree to reopen the government but argued the court’s intervention was unwarranted.
“The president cannot be told how to triage during a shutdown,” Vance said. “We’ll comply with the law, but we’re also going to make the government work for people in the best way we can.”
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled earlier that the Trump administration’s plan to issue partial SNAP payments violated his prior order. The Justice Department announced plans to appeal, leaving millions of Americans’ benefits uncertain.
The Trump administration had intended to halt SNAP payments for 42 million people during the shutdown, following two lawsuits demanding uninterrupted benefits. Last week, McConnell ordered the use of a $5 billion contingency fund, though it falls short of the $9 billion needed for November.
Vance stated the White House is balancing legal obligations with fiscal responsibility while prioritizing critical operations. “We’ll comply with the law, of course,” he said. “But we’re also going to make the government work for people in the best way we can.”
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture, and politics.
