In a decisive vote that laid bare the fractures within his own party, Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey’s 5th District stood alone among the state’s House Democrats to support a Republican-led spending bill that reopened the federal government Tuesday night.
The measure passed 217-214, ending a four-day partial shutdown, the latest in a record-shattering series of federal closures under President Donald Trump.
The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month put a spotlight on federal enforcement tactics. Democrats voiced outrage over the actions of Gestapo-like immigration agents, calling for changes in how they operate before agreeing to approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Gottheimer was one of only 21 Democrats nationwide to cross the aisle, joining all three New Jersey Republicans—Tom Kean, Jeff Van Drew, and Chris Smith—in voting for the measure, which Trump signed into law.
Every other Democrat from the Garden State voted against the spending legislation, a protest they said was against a bill that funded most agencies but offered no check on an immigration enforcement regime they call dangerously aggressive.
The shutdown, the fourth of Trump’s tenure, bringing his total to 117 days, began just after midnight Saturday when the House failed to vote in time on a Senate-passed package.
It ended when Trump signed the bill hours after the House vote, but not before another 750,000 federal workers were furloughed without pay—a now-familiar ritual from the 43-day shutdown of 2025, the longest in U.S. history.
Democratic opposition focused on two critical lapses: the bill’s failure to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and its lack of new oversight for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ACA subsidies, expanded in 2021, expired Dec. 31, 2025.
Their lapse has already triggered a crisis, with initial data showing 1.5 million Americans dropped their marketplace plans in early January.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the combined effect of the subsidy expiration and new work requirements could leave up to 17 million more Americans uninsured by 2034.
But for many New Jersey Democrats, the more immediate failure was on immigration.
They argued that by passing a clean, two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security without conditions, they surrendered all leverage to rein in an agency they believe is operating with excessive force.
The funding package will fund the Departments of Labor; Health and Human Services; Housing and Urban Development; Transportation; and Defense for one year plus a two-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security, allowing negotiations on a final budget continue.
The debate is charged by the fatal shootings last month of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents, incidents the Trump administration blamed on “domestic terrorism” despite evidence showing both killings were unjustified.
A new Ipsos poll finds 62% of Americans now believe ICE’s actions have gone “too far,” a four-point jump from just a week ago.
“The actions by ICE and DHS have shown a complete lack of accountability and care. They are simply out-of-control. It’s why I called for the impeachment of Secretary Noem, who has failed to acknowledge a problem with her department, let alone put forward a plan to correct,” said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12th Dist.), who voted against the bill. “I’ve called for dismantling DHS and replacing it with an immigration system that respects the rights and safety of every member of our community. When I said ‘not one cent more to ICE,’ I meant it.”
Gottheimer, Trump’s favorite Democrat in the House of Representatives and a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, defended his vote as necessary to end a disruptive shutdown and provide certainty.
“Today’s vote was about three key things: First, to keep the government open to support our seniors, veterans, and families; second, to bring home huge wins for Jersey families and communities; and third, to start the clock on two weeks of negotiations on essential reforms to ICE,” he said in a statement. “Today’s vote will also help lower health care costs for Jersey families, combat the Congestion Tax crushing Jersey commuters, support the firefighters who protect our communities, fund Jersey’s roads and bridges, boost cancer research, ensure access to childcare and early childhood education, expand the air traffic controller workforce, fund Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, fully fund 9/11 health care for responders, and provide our service members with a 3.8% pay raise.”
His reasoning did not placate critics within his party, who saw a missed opportunity. The Ipsos poll showed overwhelming public support for measures Democrats sought: requiring officers to wear body cameras and adhere to strict conduct standards. Even among Republicans, the share saying ICE has gone “too far” rose 10 points in the past week.
“There was a time when Republicans in Congress believed in the Constitution and in a basic moral obligation to speak when something was plainly wrong,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.). “In Minnesota, Americans were shot in the face and in the back in broad daylight. In New Jersey, people are being detained without cause. And the Republican party that once called itself the guardian of law and order says nothing.”
“Fear is the tool this administration relies on, but New Jersey will not be intimidated,” said Congresswoman LaMonica McIver. “ICE is terrorizing our communities, and people deserve to know their rights and where to turn for help.”
The bill funds most federal agencies through the fiscal year but only funds DHS through Feb. 13, setting the stage for another potential confrontation over immigration enforcement in two weeks. For now, the government is open. The deep divisions over how it operates, however, remain as stark as the solitary “yea” from Josh Gottheimer on a largely partisan roll call.
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