Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) is facing backlash after suggesting that children who rely on school lunch programs are “sponging off the government.” Speaking with CNN’s Pamela Brown on Tuesday from Doral, Florida, McCormick argued that high school students should be able to work instead of receiving free meals.
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“How many people got their start in fast food restaurants when they were kids?” McCormick said. “Versus just giving a blanket rule that gives all kids lunches in high school, who are capable of going out and actually getting a job and doing something that actually makes them have value.”
The Georgia congressman was responding to a question about whether he supports Donald Trump’s freeze on all federal grants, including funding for school lunch programs, childhood cancer research, and Head Start, a federally funded preschool program for low-income families.
“When you talk about school lunches, hey, I worked my way through high school,” McCormick continued. “I don’t know about you, but I worked before I was even 13 years old. I was picking berries in the field before child labor laws that precluded that.”
When Brown pushed back, noting that not all children are of working age or able to work, McCormick acknowledged that fact but defended the funding freeze, arguing that it allows a chance to reevaluate federal spending. “It gives us a chance to see where the money is really being spent,” he said, calling for a “top-down review” of programs, including school lunches.
McCormick also defended Trump’s pause on federal grants for childhood cancer research, instead pointing to the former president’s proposed $500 billion investment in artificial intelligence, which he suggested could aid in cancer detection.
McCormick’s remarks have sparked outrage from critics who argue that access to school meals is essential for low-income families and that his comments dismiss the struggles faced by food-insecure children. Advocates say that school meal programs provide critical support for students who may not have reliable access to food at home, and studies have shown that hunger can negatively impact academic performance and overall well-being.
