Republican Congressman: Students Should Work at McDonald’s Instead of Getting Free Lunches
By Jake Beardslee ·
January 29, 2025
Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican congressman from Georgia, drew criticism recently after suggesting that some students should work at fast-food restaurants rather than receive free school lunches, amid discussions of a White House freeze on federal aid programs. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
During a CNN interview, McCormick defended the temporary pause on federal funding by advocating for a "top-down review" of government assistance programs. When pressed about the potential impacts on programs like Head Start, McCormick shared his personal experience, stating, "Before I was even 13 years old, I was picking berries in the field, before child labor laws that precluded that. I was a paper boy, and when I was in high school, I worked my entire way through." United States Congress / Wikimedia
“You’re telling me that kids who stay at home instead of working at Burger King or McDonald’s during the summer should just get their free lunch instead of going to work? I think we need to have a top-down review,” the congressman stated. He expressed concern that people are trying to “sponge out the government,” despite the strict eligibility criteria of the National School Lunch Program, which serves children from families at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level. U.S. Department of Agriculture / Wikimedia
The comments came as the White House Office of Management and Budget implemented a temporary freeze on federal financial assistance programs, with Acting Director Matthew J. Vaeth requiring all departments to pause related activities by Tuesday evening. While the freeze excludes Medicare and Social Security benefits, school meal programs for low-income students were among the affected services under review. Second presidency of Donald Trump / Wikimedia
During the interview, McCormick also mistakenly referred to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as JFK Jr. while discussing nutrition policy and made controversial remarks about the relationship between poverty and obesity in America. “When in history — and this is a really good question for any reporter — when in history, have we had our poorest people also be our fattest people?” he asked. “That’s for the first time here in America. Traditionally, our poorest people live very skinny and very under-nutrition.” Democratizemedia / Wikimedia
