**Attorney General Pam Bondi Criticizes Federal Judge’s Order to Divert School Lunch Funds to SNAP Amid Government Shutdown**

Attorney General Pam Bondi has sharply criticized U.S. District Judge John McConnell, an Obama appointee, following his order for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use federal funds originally allocated for school lunch programs to continue financing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing government shutdown. The ruling was reported by The Gateway Pundit.

During a Thursday hearing, Judge McConnell chastised Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys representing the administration and directed the federal government to fully restore SNAP benefits to states by Friday. He argued that millions of Americans would otherwise go without vital food assistance.

“The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell told DOJ lawyers. “Last weekend, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in our nation’s history. This is a problem that could have and should have been avoided.”

This ruling affects more than 40 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits. Federal officials explained that the $5 billion emergency fund allocated earlier in the shutdown was insufficient to sustain the program through November. As a result, McConnell ordered the USDA to redirect funds from child nutrition programs—including school lunch allocations—to cover the shortfall.

**Bondi Denounces Redirecting School Lunch Funds**

Attorney General Bondi denounced the court’s move, saying it effectively “raids children’s school-lunch money” to fund the food-stamp program.

“That TRO purports to force the government to divert some $5 billion from the school lunch program to SNAP by the end of today,” Bondi said in a statement Thursday.

She also accused Judge McConnell and the First Circuit Court of Appeals of manipulating the timing of the order to disadvantage the government’s ability to respond.

“Why could we file this brief only this morning, with that clock ticking? The First Circuit clerk’s office made it impossible to file sooner,” Bondi explained.

Bondi added that her office had notified the court in advance about the likelihood of fast-moving litigation. However, she claimed the court clerk’s office “refused to answer its phones until this morning and refused to offer any means of filing this emergency request until it processed certain paperwork during regular business hours.”

According to Bondi, McConnell’s late-day ruling created a “manufactured emergency,” forcing the government into a position where it could not file an appeal in time.

“We ask the First Circuit to get courts out of the business of deciding how to triage scarce funds during a shutdown,” Bondi emphasized, adding that judicial interference in funding priorities undermines executive branch authority and disrupts ongoing federal operations.

**USDA and DOJ Review Next Steps**

The USDA has not yet confirmed whether it will comply with Judge McConnell’s order before pursuing an emergency appeal.

The Department of Justice said it continues to review its legal options as the administration faces mounting pressure to resolve funding disputes affecting food assistance programs, school nutrition, and other federally funded services disrupted by the shutdown.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/11/ag-pam-bondi-rips-obama-judge-for-diverting-school-lunch-funds-to-snap/