WASHINGTON — Hot rotisserie chickens could be purchased by families using food stamps under a measure led by a Michigan lawmaker and added Thursday to the latest farm bill to pass the U.S. House.

Current rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, don't consider hot rotisserie chickens to be an eligible purchase for participating families, though the same rotisserie-cooked chicken is eligible when chilled or sometimes split up at an upcharge, said U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Bay City Democrat.

McDonald Rivet sponsored the amendment to revise the rules with Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, that passed the House on Thursday with bipartisan support 384-35.

Three Michigan GOP lawmakers were among those voting no: Reps. Tom Barrett of Charlotte, Lisa McClain of Bruce Township and Tim Walberg of Tipton. Democratic Reps. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids missed the vote.

McDonald Rivet, a mom of six, said she wanted to push for the change because hot rotisserie chicken is a convenient source of protein for working families that lets them get dinner on the table in 15 minutes and costs just $5 to $8. It's cheaper than a roaster chicken that needs to be cooked, seasoned and "still comes out dry," she said.

"Working families ... are required to buy that more expensive roaster bird, the one that takes three hours and a bunch of expensive ingredients, to produce a meal for your family. That's an impossibility for me, especially on week nights," she said in a video posted to social media. "I got really frustrated about this."

Walberg's office said he opposed the amendment in part because he was concerned about creating a carve-out for one food amid advocates' push to expand SNAP to all hot foods.

"We must ensure that any reforms to eligible SNAP purchases do not change the original intent of the program that has been in place for decades to provide supplemental nutrition to families," Walberg said in a statement.

"Today, House Republicans passed the first full Farm Bill since 2018 to strengthen nutrition access while also investing in America’s farmers and rural communities, ensuring they have the support they need to keep America's food supply strong."

Barrett's office said he believes SNAP benefits should be used to help families buy groceries.

"He did not support this amendment over concerns that states like Michigan would use this as an opportunity to further stray from the program's intended purpose by allowing EBT to be used at fast food restaurants like Kentucky Fried Chicken," Barrett spokesman Jeff Fix said in a statement.

McDonald Rivet, who serves on the House Agriculture panel, was the only Michigan Democrat to vote for the broader, five-year farm bill on Thursday, which passed the House by a vote of 224-200, with 14 Democrats in favor, and three Republicans opposed.

She cited the legislation's improved rates for crop insurance and specialty crop support that hadn't been updated since the 2018 farm bill. The package authorizes subsidy and nutrition assistance programs through 2031. The Senate hasn't introduced its own version of the farm bill yet.

Another provision that McDonald Rivet said she secured in the legislation aims to authorize the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review purchases or leases of U.S. agricultural land by foreign entities that exceed $5 million or 320 acres.

Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia, praised the bill's passage, noting that farmers have been disappointed by the short-term farm bill extensions enacted in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He said rural residents in Michigan would benefit from its federal funding and grants for "vital" infrastructure projects and expanded broadband access.

"Affordability starts on our farms, and this legislation ensures family farms are able to thrive; keeping grocery shelves stocked and prices down," he said in a statement.

Congress has not passed a Farm Bill since 2018, leaving farmers and rural communities to rely on short-term extensions of outdated policies to prepare for the future. The 2026 Farm Bill reauthorizes programs with needed updates through 2031.

McDonald Rivet did say she was unhappy the legislation would lock in $187 billion in SNAP cuts that Republicans adopted last summer as part of the massive domestic policy bill ― something that other Democrats cited to explain their opposition to the legislation.

"Republicans cut food assistance for 40 million people, and their farm bill will make these cuts stick. That's not even including the cost shifts that a bipartisan group of governors has said will permanently harm SNAP," said Rep. Shri Thanedar, a Detroit Democrat who sits on the Ag Committee.

Scholten said the final bill incorporated her Friends in the Field Act, which aims to boost biological pest control practices on farms by encouraging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to do further research and development around best uses, according to a bill summary.

Scholten's Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act was also in the House farm bill, which aims to remove administrative hurdles for small farmers and ranchers to participate in federal nutrition programs.

_____

©2026 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.