Detroit Free Press: Rep. McDonald Rivet calls foul on SNAP ban on rotisserie chickens

You can use an Electronic Benefit Transfer card to buy frozen chicken nuggets, sliced turkey, even egg nog, Chicken in a Biskit crackers and a Cadbury Creme Egg, presumably in most places.

But a rotisserie chicken? Nope, that runs afoul of the law.

And some members of Congress — U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, among them — say that's just cuckoo.

McDonald Rivet, on April 21, signed on as the primary cosponsor to bipartisan legislation (introduced by Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, who hails from Arkansas and clearly knows a thing or two about poultry) that, if passed, would amend Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, to say, yes, indeed, families can use benefits under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy those delectable, golden, spit-roasted chickens slowly spinning in a supermarket near you.

“As a mom who puts dinner on the table every night, I can’t tell you how many times a hot rotisserie chicken has come to the rescue," said McDonald Rivet, who represents a swing district and has hit on an idea here that, unlike many pieces of legislation signed onto by Democrats in a Republican-led Congress, could fly.

"It’s ridiculous for the government to tell working parents they can’t buy such a common staple for an affordable, quick, healthy meal."

There are, by way of context, about 1.3 million Michiganders on food assistance, according to the state. And we're guessing not a small number of them that eat chicken, including that of the rotisserie kind.

The legislation already has members of Congress flocking to it, with nearly two dozen having scratched their names to it. In the Senate, a companion bill also has a clutch of members crowing their support, including Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman and West Virginia Republicans Jim Justice and Shelly Moore Capito.

“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken,” said Fetterman. “It’s one of my family’s favorites and I’m proud to join this bill with Senator Justice for all to try. SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it.”

If it comes as something of a surprise that SNAP, which was formerly known as food stamps and provides nutrition benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer (or EBT) cards, didn't cover rotisserie chickens, join the club. Though there have been efforts over the years to get rid of or alter the ban, as well as make all kinds of other changes (many states have embraced the Trump administration's efforts to restrict using benefits to purchase soda, candy or other items; Michigan isn't among them as yet).

Generally speaking, while benefits do cover fruits and vegetables; meat, poultry, and fish; dairy products; breads and cereals; seeds and plants which produce food; and "other foods, such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees it, households may not use SNAP benefits to buy "foods that are hot at the point of sale" (among other things).

Apparently, the ban on hot foods, except in certain disaster areas, goes back to the 1970s and worries that people would use benefits for food made in restaurants rather than taking food home to be prepared and eaten. The only issue is that grocery store products have changed so much that, while families can't use SNAP to buy hot rotisserie chickens, they can use them to buy the same chicken when it's chilled and then broken down and repackaged — even if it costs more.

Of course, this being Washington and an election year and all, getting anything passed in Congress is difficult and McDonald Rivet's concerns aside, there's no guarantee the legislation is going anywhere soon.

In other words, we advise her and the others: Don't count your legislative eggs before they hatch.