Over 20 Democrats Join GOP to Pretend Government Shutdown Isn’t Happening
KEY POINTS
- •On February 3, 2026, 21 House Democrats joined most Republicans to vote 217-214 to fund Homeland Security for two weeks.
- •This vote came amid Democratic concerns over fatal ICE shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti creating bad optics.
- •House Freedom Caucus wants input on immigration reforms while Speaker Mike Johnson opposes adding warrant requirements.
In a theatrical display of bipartisan half-measures, 21 Democrats and most Republicans voted 217-214 on February 3, 2026, to keep Homeland Security and other key departments limping along for just two more weeks. This move unfurled amid grim optics following the January fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti linked to ICE, triggering fretful Democrats who wished for major reforms rather than a band-aid. Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus warriors threw their hat in the ring demanding seats and conservative priorities, as Speaker Mike Johnson bluntly rejected key Democratic wishlist items like warrant requirements. So what did we learn? America’s dysfunction is bipartisan and temporary.
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House Democrats holding the government hostage for reforms then suddenly caring about optics after ICE shootings is the political equivalent of eating your own foot to check if it’s still attached.
Voting to reopen the government for only two weeks sounds less like governance and more like someone procrastinating a cleaning chore.
Apparently the only thing bipartisan in Congress these days is the collective skill at doing the bare minimum.
Source: Axios | Published: 2/3/2026 | Author: Andrew Solender
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