Rotisserie Chicken With Food Stamps? Lift the Ban, Lawmakers Say

Anti-hunger advocates are asking Congress to revisit a food stamp rule dating back half a century that keeps recipients from paying for hot foods with their government benefits.

The Agriculture Department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, meant to help people purchase food if their income falls below a certain threshold, reached more than 1 in 10 Americans last year, with its ranks swelling since the Covid pandemic exacerbated food insecurity.

But proponents argue the program hasn’t adjusted to Americans’ changing food habits since the 1970s, when lawmakers sought to limit the SNAP recipients from purchasing from fast ...