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Hot rotisserie chicken should be included in SNAP, John Fetterman and colleagues across the aisle agree

Sen. John Fetterman cosponsored a bill led by Republican Sen. Jim Justice that would allow SNAP to be used for hot rotisserie chicken.

Sen. John Fetterman and colleagues from both sides of the aisle want hot rotisserie chicken to be eligible for SNAP.
Sen. John Fetterman and colleagues from both sides of the aisle want hot rotisserie chicken to be eligible for SNAP.Read moreStacy Zarin Goldberg/For The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky

Sen. John Fetterman thinks that everyone should enjoy a hot rotisserie chicken. And he’s not alone.

Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, Tuesday joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would make the hot food eligible for purchase through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

SNAP provides Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that function as a debit card for low-income households. The cards can be used for “staple foods,” like vegetables, meats, and breads, that are usually prepared at home to make a meal, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Prepared or heated foods don’t qualify.

But anyone who has grabbed a hot chicken when they’re running low on groceries (or time) can tell you that it can be made into many meals.

“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken ... it’s one of my family’s favorites and I’m proud to join this bill with Senator Justice for all to try,” Fetterman said in a statement, referencing Sen. Jim Justice (R., W. Va.), the bill’s lead sponsor.

Fetterman is one of three cosponsors, along with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R., W. Va.) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.).

“SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it,” Fetterman said.

Current SNAP rules allow cooked rotisserie chickens to be bought with benefits if they have been cooled down, according to the legislators.

The bill is laser-focused on hot rotisserie chicken. It would change the definition of food in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to include the food item, but it would not add any other hot foods.

Fetterman is a co-sponsor on a separate bill that would allow hot foods and hot prepared foods more broadly. That bill was introduced by members of the Democratic caucus last March and has not moved forward.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Democrat also introduced a bill that would allow USDA to repay people who had money stolen from their EBT cards, which also has not progressed.