Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) is making a fresh push for her Hot Foods Act, a bill that would let Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients use benefits to purchase hot prepared meals. The legislation goes further than a narrower bipartisan effort focused solely on rotisserie chicken, arguing that the restriction on hot foods is outdated and harms working families.
On Monday, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) posted on X, calling to “feed our busy and hardworking families with real food,” alongside an image of a $4.99 hot rotisserie chicken from Costco. He touted the bipartisan Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would amend the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act to specifically allow SNAP funds to buy hot rotisserie chicken. “Costco’s hot rotisserie — $4.99. We introduced a bipartisan bill to make our SNAP families’ lives a little more affordable + convenient in America,” Fetterman wrote.
Meng reposted Fetterman’s message a day later with a pointed question: “Why stop at rotisserie chicken?” She added, “Everyone should be able to buy a hot meal, with or without a Costco membership (or even liking chicken). That’s why my Hot Foods Act lets SNAP cover ALL hot, prepared foods!” Her bill would remove the current prohibition on hot food purchases, allowing recipients to buy items like hot sandwiches, soups, and prepared rotisserie chickens.
Under existing law, SNAP benefits can only be used for food that requires home preparation or cold prepared foods. Cooled rotisserie chicken is permitted, but hot versions are not. Meng’s office has described the restriction as “outdated,” arguing it fails to reflect the realities of busy families who may lack time or kitchen access. The shift comes as Democrats increasingly frame food assistance as part of a broader economic agenda, with recent polling showing Democrats gaining ground on economic trust for the first time since 2010.
Fetterman, in a statement, called the $4.99 Costco chicken “America’s best (and delicious) affordability play” and a favorite in his own household. “SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it,” he said. The bipartisan Senate bill, co-sponsored by Sen. John Justice (R-W.Va.), reflects a rare area of agreement on food policy, though Meng’s broader approach may face more resistance.
The push for hot food access comes amid a charged political landscape, with the WHCA shooting intensifying midterm battles and Democrats seizing an economic edge. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has signaled that if Democrats win back the majority, they would not focus on impeachment, suggesting a shift toward kitchen-table issues like SNAP reform.
Meng’s bill has not yet received a committee vote, but the ongoing debate highlights a growing bipartisan interest in modernizing the nation’s largest food assistance program. For now, the rotisserie chicken remains the poster child for that effort—but Meng wants the menu to be much larger.
