Congress debates rotisserie chicken and if it should be covered by food stamps

A bipartisan group of US senators is pushing for a change to government food assistance, proposing that supermarket rotisserie chickens become an eligible purchase under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

The senators have introduced what they are calling the “Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act,” which aims to update rules for the program, formerly known as food stamps. SNAP currently excludes hot, prepared foods.

“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken,” said Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who joined Republican Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia and others in sponsoring the bill.

“It’s one of my family’s favorites, and I’m proud to join this bill with Sen. Justice for all to try,” Fetterman continued. “SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it.”

SNAP provides a monthly stipend for low-income families to buy groceries, and its decades-old exclusion of hot prepared foods was originally meant to promote home cooking. Critics argue this rule is outdated, penalizing struggling families by denying them convenient and nutritious options.

Lawmakers at the state and federal level have long debated which foods should be eligible for SNAP benefits. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pressed states to exclude “junk food” such as soda and candy, with 22 states, mostly Republican-led, requesting or being granted permission to ban certain foods.

SNAP is a crucial part of the US social safety net, assisting nearly 42 million Americans – about one in eight – with their grocery bills. On average, the monthly benefit per household is about $350, and the average benefit per person is about $190.

Besides Fetterman and Justice, the bill’s sponsors include Republican Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado. Republican Representative Rick Crawford of Arkansas is championing similar legislation in the House.

Justice said, “We have to give people the option to put a healthy, protein-dense choice on the table that actually tastes good and doesn’t take an hour and a half to cook.”