The claim is mostly true because Senate Democrats voted against a Republican-backed bill, the Shutdown Fairness Act, that would have provided pay to some essential federal workers including military personnel during the 2025 government shutdown, although the bill did not address SNAP benefits and Democrats opposed it partly due to its selective coverage and lack of broader relief.
Mostly True
Dems voted down a Republican backed bill that would pay SNAP and Military.
Senate fails to advance GOP bill that would have provided pay for some federal workers during shutdown - ABC News
Source: abcnews.go.com
At a glance
Verified October 24, 2025Key Evidence
The Shutdown Fairness Act was sponsored by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and failed by a vote of approximately 55-45, falling short of the 60 votes needed.
abcnews.go.comabcnews.go.comSenate fails to advance GOP bill that would have provided pay for some federal...
thehill.comthehill.comDemocrats block bill to pay military, essential workers during government...
Democrats opposed the bill because it was seen as incomplete and selective, excluding furloughed workers and broader relief measures like ACA subsidies.
theguardian.comtheguardian.comUS Senate fails to pass bill to pay federal essential workers and troops through...
foxnews.comfoxnews.comSenate Democrats block bill to pay essential workers during shutdown+1 more
The bill focused on paying essential workers required to work during the shutdown, including military personnel, but there is no mention of SNAP payments in any source.
newsweek.comnewsweek.comFull List of Democrats Who Voted Against Paying US Military During Shutdown
cnn.comcnn.comGOP attempts to squeeze Democrats with vote to pay ‘essential workers,’...
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Multiple sources confirm that the Senate voted on a Republican-sponsored bill called the Shutdown Fairness Act in October 2025, which aimed to provide pay to certain federal essential workers and military members during the ongoing government shutdown. The bill failed to reach the 60 votes needed to advance, with most Democrats voting against it in a largely party-line vote. Democrats criticized the bill for being overly selective, as it did not include furloughed federal employees or broader financial relief such as subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans.
There is no evidence in the sources that this bill included provisions for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments. Instead, Democrats pushed for alternative measures addressing broader relief needs.
Therefore, while it is accurate that Democrats voted down a Republican-backed bill to pay military and some essential workers, the claim that it would pay SNAP recipients is unsupported by available evidence.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source