Michigan SNAP recipient reacts to proposed bill that would allow purchase of hot rotisserie chickens
For decades, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program users have typically been unable to purchase hot foods. A proposed bill is making the rounds in the U.S. House of Representatives to allow users to buy hot rotisserie chickens.
"You allow me to get it when it's packaged, but not when it's fresh. My thing is, now you're not giving me something fresh, rather than something packaged with additives," Sherlyn McClure told CBS News Detroit.
McClure, a SNAP recipient, says she's never understood why she couldn't buy a fresh chicken with her benefits.
"The hot rotisserie chicken is often far cheaper than the full roaster. And certainly a million times cheaper than the cold rotisserie chicken, which has to be deboned and shredded to sell," Rep. Kristen Rivet said in a recent meeting with the House Committee on Agriculture.
Rivet, a Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, co-sponsors the House bill with Arkansas Republican Congressman Rick Crawford. In March, the House Committee on Agriculture discussed an amendment to allow the purchase of hot chicken, but ultimately it was shot down.
"It's 2026, and if there's a hungry child in America and we're not doing everything we can to make sure they're fed, then I don't think we're doing justice to the American people," Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden said during the meeting.
Hot rotisserie chickens, which typically cost $5-$9 for a whole chicken, are often significantly cheaper than cold ones.
A similar bill is also making its way through the U.S. Senate. McClure still uses cash to pay for her family's rotisserie chickens, but feels it could go to a different use if her benefits allowed the purchase of hot foods.
"If my food stamps can help that – then that can alleviate for something that's more important," McClure said.