Eric A. "Rick" Crawford

Rep. Crawford Statement on House Passage of the 2026 Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-01) released the following statement in response to the House of Representatives passing the 2026 Farm Bill. “This morning, I was proud to join my colleagues in passing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which included two of my own amendments. I applaud Chairman Thompson for his leadership throughout this process, and I cannot overstate how urgently my district needs this Farm Bill. For the U.S. to be secure, independent, and healthy, we must be able to feed ourselves and keep our food safe, which is just what our nation’s farmers do. With the American producer at the forefront of our minds, this Farm Bill secured many great wins for Arkansas agriculture and realigned our nation’s agricultural policy in the right direction. I am especially proud that my amendments, which would keep the essential activities of the crucial USDA Circuit Rider program operating during government shutdowns and make hot rotisserie chickens SNAP eligible, were included in this Farm Bill. Additionally, I led multiple initiatives included in the Farm Bill’s base text that expand the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive program (GusNIP) to help needy families purchase fruits and vegetables, prevent Chinese solar companies from receiving USDA funds, and create an Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force to combat trade cheaters, especially India, hurting our farmers. That being said, I recognize this legislation will not be sufficient in meeting the immediate challenges facing producers. I am still fighting for advanced PLC payments and payment limitation relief, and I also support exploring other avenues for additional direct assistance. Today was a momentous day for the agriculture community, and I strongly urge my Senate counterparts under Chairman Boozman’s leadership to move this Farm Bill as soon as possible.”

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

Position: Congressman Crawford advocates for amending the 2026 Farm Bill to allow SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken, arguing it provides affordable, nutrient-dense protein and greater meal flexibility without additional taxpayer burden.

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.

Congressman Crawford Co-Leads Effort to Allow for the Purchase of Hot Rotisserie Chicken with SNAP Benefits

Position: Congressman Crawford supports legislation to allow SNAP participants to purchase hot rotisserie chicken, arguing it provides affordable, nutritious food without increasing taxpayer costs and removes unnecessary regulatory barriers.

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Yesterday, Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) introduced H.R. 8403, the Healthy Obtainable Tasty (HOT) Rotisserie Chicken Act, alongside 17 of his colleagues, to allow for the purchase of hot rotisserie chicken with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. As President Trump and Secretary Kennedy realigned our nation’s approach to nutrition, the HOT Rotisserie Chicken Act expands access to high-quality, whole foods without expanding cost to the taxpayer. A hot rotisserie chicken, priced at around $5 or $6, offers unbeatable affordability and nutritional value. However, under current regulations, SNAP participants are only able to purchase cold rotisserie chickens. Allowing hot rotisserie chicken SNAP purchases gives working families a great, healthy option to put on their dinner table or use as an ingredient in other common meals. Additionally, this is a bicameral bill with Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) leading the Senate version of the HOT Rotisserie Chicken Act. “It is just plain common sense to allow SNAP participants to purchase a rotisserie chicken with their benefits,” said Congressman Crawford. “Hot rotisserie chicken is healthy, widely available, popular in grocery stores, and aligned with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans." This legislation, supported by both the National Chicken Council and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, would respond to the request made by multiple states, including Arkansas, to the USDA to include nutritious hot rotisserie chicken in SNAP benefits. “There are few better ways for families to get a healthy, affordable meal than by buying a hot rotisserie chicken - especially if it’s from an Arkansas-raised broiler,” said Governor Sanders. “For too long, this staple has been banned from SNAP purchases because of federal red tape, but Rep. Crawford is leading the way on getting it back on Americans’ tables. I’m grateful for his leadership and look forward to pairing this legislation with my administration’s initiative to get unhealthy options like soft drinks and candy off taxpayer-funded food stamps.” “Allowing folks on SNAP to buy hot rotisserie chickens is truly just common sense. It’s as basic as you can get to help busy parents or grandparents put something as simple as this on the table to feed their families. We have to give people the option to put a healthy, protein-dense choice on the table that actually tastes good and doesn’t take an hour and a half to cook,” said Senator Jim Justice. “The HOT Rotisserie Chicken Act is a commonsense solution to an unnecessary problem. Right now, a SNAP family can buy a cold rotisserie chicken — but the moment it's hot, it's off limits. There is no nutritional difference. There is no logical difference. There is only an outdated technicality that forces grocery stores to heat chickens and cool them back down just to comply, wasting energy, degrading quality, and adding cost. "Rotisserie chicken - a real food - is the most affordable complete protein in the grocery store. At around $7, it can feed an entire family. For the 42 million Americans on SNAP, that matters enormously. "I want to thank Rep. Crawford, and Sens. Justice, Bennett, Fetterman, and Capito for their leadership on this no-cost, commonsense, and long overdue legislation. The National Chicken Council is proud to support it, and we urge Congress to pass it without delay." said National Chicken Council (NCC) President Harrison Kircher. Original Cosponsors of the HOT Rotisserie Chicken Act: Costa (CA-21), Evans (CO-08), Figures (AL-02), Harris (NC-08), Harris (MD-01), Kiggans (VA-02), McBride (DE-AL), McDonald-Rivet (MI-08), McGarvey (KY-03), Moore (AL-01), Moore (UT-01), Moran (TX-01), Sorenson (IL-17), Van Orden (WI-03), Vasquez (NM-02), Westerman (AR-02), Wied (WI-08), Womack (AR-03) Read the bill text HERE .