As the House Agriculture Committee worked to mark-up and approve the Farm Bill on Wednesday, members of the committee debated whether hot rotisserie chicken should be available through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), after an amendment offered by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR). SNAP already covers cold rotisserie chicken.
“I want to thank Rep. Crawford and the committee members for their debate and bipartisan support for including hot rotisserie chicken in the SNAP program,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “Although the provision was ultimately not included in the bill, we appreciate the committee’s commitment to address this commonsense issue in the future, and we stand ready to work with them to advance it.”
Citing a budgetary issue, Rep. Crawford ultimately withdrew his amendment. Chairman Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA) said SNAP is designed to cover food that is taken home and prepared. But including hot rotisserie chicken in the SNAP program received overwhelming bipartisan support from committee members.
“Hot rotisserie chicken is healthy, widely available, popular in grocery stores, and aligns with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans promoting nutrient-dense protein,” Crawford said in introducing his amendment. Crawford added that Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently submitted a waiver to add hot rotisserie chicken to the state’s SNAP program.
“I actually wish Rep. Crawford hadn’t withdrawn this amendment, noted Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI). “I was a latch-key kid growing up, and it would have been tremendously helpful if we had access to this type of food. To me, this is absolutely absurd that we wouldn’t allow someone to have hot food. We need to look at things differently – it’s 2026.”
“Is this a joke?” said Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI). “This committee can’t figure out how to just say, ‘Yeah, OK, have the hot rotisserie chicken,’” McDonald Rivet said. She noted that hot chicken is cheaper than either a roaster or deboned meat from a cold rotisserie chicken. “My husband and I raised six kids. Not only is a hot rotisserie chicken a lifesaver, I can give you ten recipes off the top of my head that you can use it, including the famed Tater Tot Casserole.”
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) said with different family structures of today, people “should be able to go to the grocery store, get what they need, bring home a hot meal, and not only will it be better for the family, it will be better for the kids, as well.”
Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) said the change would help people who live in hotels and other less-than-ideal locations. “Everybody does not have a home, like many of us do, where you’ve got a kitchen,” she said.
The committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, said the hot chicken proposal raised a question about whether other hot foods, such as soups and sandwiches, should be eligible for SNAP.
The debate was livestreamed on YouTube and can be watched here, starting at the 19:00 mark.
