April 27, 2026
In a statement, Fetterman prompted the new key word on Capitol Hill – “affordability” – as a reasoning for the change.
A group of bipartisan senators is pushing to make rotisserie chicken eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients with a new bill, The Hill reported.
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act moves to amend the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act by modifying the definition of food and adding “hot rotisserie chicken.” As current legislation doesn’t permit the purchase of hot prepared foods, only cooled but cooked rotisserie chicken, the amendment would “allow all hot foods to be included for purchase.”
In a statement, Fetterman prompted the new keyword on Capitol Hill – “affordability” – as a reason for the change.
“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken,” Fetterman said.
“It’s one of my family’s favorites, and I’m proud to join this bill with Senator Justice for all to try. SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it.”
Other lawmakers agree, including fellow Democratic leader Sen. Michael Bennett of Colorado and Republican West Virginia Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito. Justice called the concept “as basic as you can get to help busy parents or grandparents put something as simple as this on the table to feed their families.”
“It’s plain common sense: a hot rotisserie chicken is a healthy, easy meal for busy families. Folks on SNAP should be able to grab one on the go,” he wrote on X in his support of the legislation.
The program, which provides a monthly stipend for low-income families to purchase groceries, has excluded hot meals for decades, in an effort to promote home cooking, according to WPXI.
However, legislation such as the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act supports critics’ sentiments that the ban is outdated and limits families already struggling to make ends meet and access nutritious options.
“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,” Justice said in a statement.
Similar amendments receiving bipartisan support have been introduced, such as a farm bill sponsored by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) He pushed for rotisserie chicken to be included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “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 the statement.
Deemed successful, GOP Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders submitted a waiver to extend the program to cover hot rotisserie chicken.
The legislation is one of the latest battles over approved vs. disapproved foods eligible for SNAP benefits, used by nearly 42 million Americans. On average, the monthly benefit per household is close to $350, with the average benefit per person being $190.
As lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have gone back and forth on which foods should be eligible for SNAP benefits, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has urged states to exclude junk food, such as soda and candy, from SNAP eligibility.
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