How did Central Valley and Sacramento members of Congress vote on the shutdown?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- House passed bill to end 43-day shutdown; local GOP members voted yes.
- Several Democrats, including Gray, opposed the bill; party-line votes persisted.
- Legislation omits expiring enhanced Obamacare premium tax credits ending Dec 31, 2025.
Northern California and Central Valley members of Congress largely voted with their parties — except for Rep. Adam Gray —Wednesday as the House passed legislation to end the 43-day federal government shutdown by a 222 to 209 vote.
The bill ends the stalemate over the government budget that has kept agencies largely shuttered since October 1. Most can now reopen through January 30, when funding will again run out. But departments dealing with agriculture, veterans affairs, military construction and Congress will be funded through September 30.
Gray was one of six Democrats to vote with Republicans.
“Governing requires difficult choices. Congress could have rejected this deal, kept the government closed, and watched families go hungry while we make a point. Instead, I accepted an imperfect compromise that protects the most vulnerable for a whole year while we keep working to save health care,” the Merced Democrat explained in an op-ed for the Turlock Journal released after the vote.
“Governing is not about winning arguments. It’s about fixing problems and improving people’s lives,” Gray said.
The GOP’s Kevin Kiley of Roseville, Tom McClintock of Elk Grove, David Valadao of Hanford and Doug LaMalfa of Chico all voted for the bill.
Democrats Doris Matsui and Ami Bera of Sacramento, Jim Costa of Fresno and Mike Thompson of St. Helena all voted no.
The two parties, though, continued to blame each other for the longest shutdown in U.S. history, one that ended without any resolution in the Democrats’ effort to extend enhanced health care premiums credits for Obamacare-inspired policies that are due to end this year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, promised a vote on an extension next month, but House leaders have given no such assurance.
Adam Gray votes with Republicans
Gray has been unpredictable in the past. He has been regarded as one of the nation’s most vulnerable incumbents, and is one of 16 House races called a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which analyzes congressional races.
Gray won his San Joaquin Valley district by 187 votes last year, one of 13 congressional districts in the country that President Donald Trump won but is represented by a Democrat.
Proposition 50 adds more Democrats. Still, he emphasizes his independence, and when the House voted on a stopgap budget in September, Gray did not vote. The same month, he was one of 17 Democrats to join Republicans to pass a defense policy bill that included strong restrictions on transgender people.
Gray, though, has been troubled by the lack of action on the expiring enhanced health care premium subsidies. There’s nothing in the current legislation addressing the credits, which end December 31.
He was also troubled by the lack of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill funds SNAP through September 30. He said 21% of families in his district rely on SNAP.
“No parent should have to choose between feeding their children and keeping the lights on because someone in Washington thinks chaos is a negotiating tactic,” Gray said.
“When the next shutdown happens (and in this divided Washington, there is always a ‘next’ shutdown) the president cannot use hungry kids as bargaining chips again. This agreement also protects veterans, small-business owners and federal workers from being turned into political weapons,” he added.
No surprises from most lawmakers
Other lawmakers have consistently voted with the party, so their votes are no surprise. Kiley, whose district was dramatically redrawn to give Democrats a big edge, has proposed bipartisan legislation to extend the health care credits and effect other reforms.
“The gridlock and excessive partisanship in Washington has never been more clearly on display; neither party is emerging from this mess in a positive light,” Kiley said after the vote.
Valadao, though, said the vote came “after 42 days of congressional Democrats holding the country hostage.”
LaMalfa blasted Democrats on X. He said Senate Democrats, most of whom refused to back a House-passed budget for weeks, “chose to hold the government hostage for political leverage. Because of their political games, millions of people — including many in District 1 — experienced a lapse in SNAP benefits, critical disaster payments and agricultural loans were stalled, prescribed burns and hazardous forest fuels projects were delayed, and air travel spun into chaos. “
Among Democrats, Bera said he was “relieved” the government would reopen and urged quick action to extend the health care credits.
Most Democrats were furious that the credits were not extended.
“This crisis wasn’t inevitable, it was manufactured by Republicans’ indifference,” said Matsui of the shutdown. “Instead of negotiating to lower costs, they chose a bill that leaves people staring at higher premiums, fewer plan options, and mounting uncertainty about whether they can stay covered.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 5:49 PM.
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