Congressman Crawford Testifies on His Hot Rotisserie Chicken Amendment to the 2026 Farm Bill

April 28, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) testified before the House Committee on Rules during its consideration of The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, or the 2026 Farm Bill, on his amendment to allow for the purchase of hot rotisserie chicken with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Watch Congressman Crawford's testimony here or below. Remarks as prepared for delivery. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll try to be as quick as I can, because I know everybody's got a ton of work to do. I thank you and the Ranking Member for giving me the opportunity to be here today. I come before you today to speak on my amendment number 272 to H.R. 7567, the Food, Farm, and National Security Act of 2026. My amendment seeks to add hot rotisserie chicken to the list of foods eligible for SNAP recipients to purchase. By expanding access to hot rotisserie chicken, we're providing families with a high-quality, nutrient-dense protein source. This directly aligns with the new dietary guidelines for Americans established by the USDA, and is a step toward ensuring that people can nourish themselves and their families with wholesome, fresh food. Hot rotisserie chicken is available at most local grocery stores that accept SNAP, and the average price is around $5 to $6. That's a great bargain considering the multiple meals you can get from one chicken. Plus, there will be no additional financial burden on the taxpayer associated with this amendment. Instead, this targeted expansion provides families with a complete meal and greater flexibility in their meal planning while remaining affordable and within SNAP benefits. Currently, SNAP participants may only purchase cold rotisserie chicken, which is simply refrigerated hot chicken due to an outdated technicality. This requirement not only degrades quality but also wastes energy and adds unnecessary costs. Additionally, some Americans lack easy access to reheating methods, making it difficult for them to warm and consume the cold rotisserie chicken. By allowing the purchase of hot rotisserie chicken, we give families the opportunity to use it as a meal or an ingredient in countless recipes, such as chicken salad, enchiladas, soups, and casseroles, and the list goes on. This meaningful change will allow families to enjoy a wider variety of wholesome meals, and the Governors from my state of Arkansas and seven other states have already requested waivers from USDA to allow their states to make hot rotisserie chicken SNAP eligible. Their leadership demonstrates the growing recognition that this amendment is not only practical and targeted but essential to our constituents. USDA stated that it would grant these waiver requests; however, it does not believe it has the legal authority to do so without Congressional input. So it's time for us to act. I'll stop there, Madam Chair. And if anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to take those. Read the amendment bill text here .