Josh Gottheimer

In the 2016 elections, Gottheimer ran for the House of Representatives in New Jersey's 5th congressional district, a seat held by Republican Scott Garrett. Cory Booker joined him when he officially announced his candidacy.[10]

Gottheimer attracted more attention than previous challengers to Garrett due to his fundraising ability[11] and ties to the Clintons; he was eventually nicknamed the "Human Fundraising Machine".[12] The New York Times ran a prominent article about his Clinton ties, describing him as a protégé of the Clintons and noting that Bill and Chelsea Clinton had appeared at a recent Manhattan fundraiser for Gottheimer, at which Chelsea introduced him as "something of a family member".[6] Gottheimer's campaign's 2015 financial filings, which reported raising around $1 million through the end of September, showed that "about one dollar in six came directly from fellow alumni of the Clinton White House and campaigns...or from major donors and employees of consulting firms tied closely to the Clintons."[6] Among those who donated were three former Clinton press secretaries and two former Clinton chiefs of staff.[6] Gottheimer also received significant support from super PACs, including the National Association of Realtors' PAC, which spent $1.3 million to promote him via television ads, and the House Majority PAC, which allocated $1.6 million to anti-Garrett ads.[13]

The 5th had historically been one of New Jersey's more Republican districts, but redistricting after the 2010 census made it slightly more Democratic by pushing it further into Bergen County. The race was characterized by the media as "intensely personal",[14] "marked by negative advertising",[15] and "one of the region’s most bitter political races".[16] Demonstratively, Garrett criticized Gottheimer "...for taking a donation from Ibrahim Al-Rashid, the son of a Saudi multimillionaire who pleaded guilty in 2014 to simple assault of his estranged wife";[17] Garrett also ran ads exaggerating a withdrawn civil claim against Gottheimer that alleged he intimidated and threatened a neighbor, in 2007, at his Washington, DC apartment building;[18][19] and the end of the campaign season saw a flyer circulating that depicted Gottheimer with devil horns, which was interpreted as antisemitic, and that the Garrett team denounced but suggested may have been a "political ploy".[20] Meanwhile, Gottheimer falsely accused Garrett of being investigated for legislating in favor of payday loans after receiving campaign contributions from the industry,[21] and national Democrats consistently portrayed Garrett as a bigot, arguing that, particularly due to comments he made against openly gay Republican candidates and his opposition to same-sex marriage, Garrett was too socially conservative for the district.[22][23][24] The Associated Press summarized the policy distinctions of the race as Gottheimer pitching, "...himself as a fiscal conservative who is socially liberal, promising not to raise taxes while also pledging to fight for LGBT and abortion rights...[and claiming] Garrett forced local residents to pay higher taxes by not fighting for federal grants," whereas Garrett, "...touted his record of battling to shrink government and uphold the Constitution, and warned that Gottheimer was another big-spending Democrat who would ultimately force higher taxes".[25]

Gottheimer defeated Garrett,[26] primarily on the strength of a strong showing in the district's share of Bergen County, home to over three-fourths of the district's voters. He won Bergen by over 33,800 votes, more than double his overall margin of almost 14,900 votes.[27] It was the most expensive House race in New Jersey history.[28] He was sworn in on January 3, 2017–[29] the first Democrat to represent the district since 1981, when it was numbered the 7th District (it has been the 5th since 1983).

Gottheimer faced John McCann, a former Cresskill councilman, in his first race for re-election in 2018. In Gottheimer's first three months in office (in 2017) he raised $752,000, setting a New Jersey record for funds raised by a freshman congressman in this timeframe;[30] during the second quarter of the 2018 cycle Gottheimer raised $1,500,000.[31] The race was characterized mostly by McCann painting Gottheimer as an establishment Democrat (especially one connected to Nancy Pelosi) while Gottheimer defended himself as bipartisan and moderate, citing his work with local elected officials, votes for Republican legislation such as Kate's Law, and a "common ground" oriented approach to Donald Trump and fixing the Affordable Care Act.[32] The race became particularly inflamed when a Gottheimer campaign sign displayed by a supporter on their property had a swastika and the phrase "vote MAGA" spray painted on it;[33] McCann was criticized for connecting the vandalism to, "Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters [spreading] messages of hate"[34] whereas Gottheimer was called out for fundraising off the incident and having subsequently denied doing so.[35]

Gottheimer was reelected in 2018, defeating John McCann with 56% of the vote. While he lost three of the district's four counties, Gottheimer won his second term on the strength of carrying the district's share of Bergen County by over 51,000 votes, more than his overall margin of 41,300 votes.[36]

In 2020, Gottheimer faced a primary challenge from a more progressive Democrat, Glen Rock councilwoman Arati Kreibich. According to Kreibich, she was ultimately pushed to challenge Gottheimer after he played a leading role in passing an emergency border funding bill that failed to provide certain aid and safeguards to detained migrants.[37] Her platform also included environmental policy, as she touted her work to ban single-use plastic bags and transition Glen Rock to renewable energy[38] as well as supported the Green New Deal,[39] and she was in favor of Medicare For All.[40] During the campaign Gottheimer remarked that, "...if Bernie Sanders, socialized medicine and extremism are more of your view, then my opponent is probably your candidate," whereas Kreibich characterized him as "Trump's favorite Democrat";[41] Representative Ayanna Presley of Massachusetts, Food and Water Action, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee endorsed Kreibich while Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Gottheimer;[42] and Gottheimer promoted his bipartisan record, painting the fifth as a moderate swing district that could easily be flipped by a Republican opponent, while Kreibich argued that the constituency was "evolving", women were "waking up", and that Gottheimer failed to respond to these shifts.[43] In July 2020, Gottheimer won the primary election with 70.1% of the vote.[44]

Gottheimer was elected to his third term in the 2020 general election, defeating Republican nominee Frank Pallotta, a former Morgan Stanley director from Mahwah, with 53% of the vote. Though fifth district Republicans slightly outnumbered Democrats as of the 2016 election, Democrats in the district had since registered at twice the rate.[45] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee attacked Pallotta as "the subprime King of New Jersey", because, though Pallotta denied involvement, testimony implicated him in working with Morgan Stanley's subprime mortgage division.[46] Pallotta described himself as a "fiscal conservative" while casting Gottheimer as a member of the "radical left" who voted with members of Congress such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez more than 80% of the time; like in 2016 and 2018 Gottheimer positioned himself, instead, as decidedly moderate.[47] As in his previous campaigns, Gottheimer lost three of the district's four counties, but defeated Pallotta in the district's share of Bergen County, this time by 52,600 votes, more than his overall margin of 32,800 votes.[48] He was also helped by Joe Biden carrying the district with 52% of the vote.[49]

Redistricting made the 5th somewhat safer for Gottheimer. The district lost its share of heavily Republican Warren County and most of its share of equally Republican Sussex County; these areas had been Garrett's base for most of Garrett's seven-term tenure. To make up for the loss in population, the 5th was pushed further into Bergen County, as far as Fort Lee. The new 5th was six points more Democratic than its predecessor; had it existed in 2020, Biden would have won it with 58 percent of the vote.[50]

In May 2022, Gottheimer became involved in the Republican primary contest that would decide his eventual general election opponent.[51] He sent mail to Republican voters that compared his 2020 opponent, Pallotta, to former Republican president Donald Trump.[52] Pallotta won the primary, defeating front-runner and US Marine Corps combat veteran Nick De Gregorio by 1,475 votes.[53]

As of October 2022, Gottheimer had $14,002,994 in campaign funds, including $1,103,462 he had raised in the third quarter of 2022 and accounting for $2,448,263 he had already spent on his 2022 re-election. At this point, for the entirety of the 2022 cycle, Gottheimer had raised $7,939,268; he had raised $26,415,820 since first running for Congress in 2015.[54]

Gottheimer was elected to his fourth term in November, 2022, defeating Frank Pallotta with 54.7% of the vote. As with previous elections, Gottheimer lost Sussex and Passaic counties (by 26 and 12.3 percentage points, respectively) but won by 18.1 percentage points in Bergen County, where 79.98% of the district's votes were cast.[55] The competition in the 5th district often reflected issues that had been energizing voters nationally, such as abortion, inflation, and crime.[56] For example, in an October debate, "...Pallotta hammered Gottheimer over rising inflation and crime, denouncing 'catch and release,' or more officially, cashless bail," whereas, "Gottheimer, like mostly all Democrats [in the 2022] cycle, [stressed] his support for women’s reproductive rights. He said the overturning of Roe v. Wade already has meant grave consequences for women...[and] criticized Pallotta...for calling abortion 'manslaughter'".[57]

• United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • United States House Permanent Select Subcommittee on Intelligence on National Security Agency and Cyber, Ranking Member
  • United States House Permanent Select Subcommittee on Intelligence on National Intelligence Enterprise

• Committee on Financial Services
  • United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions
  • United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion
  • United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets

• Blue Dog Coalition[59]
• New Democrat Coalition[60]
• Climate Solutions Caucus[61]
• Problem Solvers Caucus[62]

In September 2021, along with all but one democrat from the 117th Congress, Gottheimer voted to federally codify abortion rights protections.[68]

In June 2022, Gottheimer condemned the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, saying "We must always oppose any attempt...[to] stand between a woman, her doctor, and her faith, when making personal health care decisions. This dangerous ruling ends fifty years of precedent and will have grave widespread consequences".[69]

In April 2023, Gottheimer introduced the Freedom to Decide Act, which seeks to protect access to cross-state prescriptions for abortion pills against legal challenges.[70]

In October 2023, Gottheimer announced a campaign against crisis pregnancy centers (which explicitly do not refer visitors to a doctor for an abortion) that were operating in New Jersey. Gottheimer listed the "dangers" of these organizations, including how they, "...pose as a healthcare clinic...but are not staffed by licensed medical professionals...[aim] to brainwash women with their own ideological agenda...lie about the risks associated with abortion, use aggressive tactics...deceive women into thinking they’re too far along to legally get [an abortion]...promote dangerous medical misinformation...[and overall] don’t provide legitimate prenatal care or refer women to health clinics that would". In opposition to these clinics, the congressman, "...help[ed] lead the Stop Anti-abortion Disinformation Act in the House...[which] directs the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit mis- and dis-information related to abortion services and authorizes the FTC to penalize organizations that break this rule...[as well as] sent a letter to the Governor and leaders in the State Legislature asking them to...[restrict] crisis pregnancy centers’ deceptive marketing practices".[71][72]

Gottheimer is the Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.[62] Gottheimer has pointed to his work with the Problem Solvers Caucus as proof that he is not "ideologically rigid". He has also said that members of Congress "are more bipartisan than people think".[73]

Since being elected Gottheimer has worked with the No Labels organization, with founder Nancy Jacobson saying, "I created the Problem Solvers Caucus...and we put Congressman Gottheimer in there"; though the caucus was announced in 2014, it was launched in 2017 with Gottheimer, upon just having taken office, becoming its first (and thus far only) Democratic co-chair. In September 2023, Gottheimer co-headlined a No-Labels-organized, "'...exclusive congressional update' about...efforts to achieve 'a commonsense bipartisan framework' to prevent a government shutdown," despite having, recently before, denounced the group's intentions of putting up a third-party presidential candidate in 2024. According to The Intercept, "Wealthy executives and investors have funneled hundreds of thousands through No Labels’s Problem Solvers PAC to members of the caucus," including Gottheimer.[74]

In the first session of the 115th United States Congress, Gottheimer was ranked the eighth most bipartisan member of the House by the Bipartisan Index, a metric published by The Lugar Center and Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy.[75][76]

In January 2018, Gottheimer was one of six House Democrats who voted with Republicans for a short-term spending bill in an attempt to stave off a federal government shutdown.[77]

In September 2023 (the day after the senator was charged with taking bribes and providing sensitive information to the Egyptian government),[78] Gottheimer called on Bob Menendez to resign, writing, "Senator Menendez has been a critical voice and a tough fighter for Jersey, with a strong record that includes gun safety, protecting our environment and a woman’s right to choose, and fighting racism and antisemitism...[but] For the good of the state, he should step aside as he focuses on his defense”.[79]

Following Menendez's 2023 indictment, CBS News reported that "...more Republicans, and even Democrats, [may] smell blood in the water and jump in the race," to which Ashley Koning, the director of the Rutgers Eagleton Poll, added that, "...top contenders are already serving seats within New Jersey...Whether it's somebody like Mikie Sherrill, or Josh Gottheimer, or Andy Kim".[80] According to Insider NJ, Gottheimer, "...was asked if he would 'rule out' running for the Senate," to which he responded that, at the time, "...his only focus is on avoiding a shutdown".[81] NJ.com, meanwhile, reported that, according to a source close to Gottheimer, "Josh is 100% in for governor and done with Washington...He’s not looking to be in the running for Senate".[82]

In September 2023, Gottheimer called on the University of Pennsylvania to disinvite Roger Waters and Marc Lamont Hill as speakers at the school's Palestine Writes Literature Festival and for Princeton University to reconsider its use of Jasbir Puar's text The Right to Maim in classes. Due to accusations of antisemitism and Waters' criticisms of Israel, Gottheimer claimed the musician would be given, "...a bully pulpit...to divide others," and that, "...antisemitism and anti-Israel advocates [would be] given a platform to spew hate," if he were to speak at the festival. In the same letter, Gottheimer suggested Puar's book (being used in a class called "The Healing Humanities: Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South") was, "...offensive, antisemitic blood libel...aimed at undermining Israel and Jews...[and] containing antisemitic tropes and anti-Israel sentiment... contradict[ing] the university's mission of inclusivity, which includes protecting Jewish students". Both universities responded by denying Gottheimer's requests and citing academic freedom: Princeton's president stated, "...students inevitably encounter controversial and sometimes disturbing ideas...all students can thrive here, but not by censoring our curriculum," while Penn's president said, "...we...fiercely support the free exchange of ideas as central to our educational mission...includ[ing] the expression of views that are controversial and even those that are incompatible with our institutional values".[83]

Gottheimer has been criticized for inappropriately handling stock trades during his time as a congressman, though his team has stated that, "Prior to taking office, Josh turned over management of his portfolio to a third party and only receives statements of prior transactions".[84] For example, in August 2022, filings revealed that Gottheimer failed to report an exchange of stocks in his portfolio within the mandated 45-day period;[85] in September 2022, analysis indicated that Gottheimer made, "...trades involving 326 companies and 43 potential conflicts of interest," over a three-year period;[86] and in April 2023, it was shown that Gottheimer sold shares in impacted companies before and during the 2023 banking crisis.[87]

In February 2022, Gottheimer pledged to establish a blind trust to manage his assets; however, as of reporting in August 2022, he has yet to create one, and, as of July 2023, the electronic statement that was cited to substantiate this pledge has been removed from Gottheimer's House website.[88]

In February 2022, Gottheimer released a statement in support of Representative Abigail Spanberger's Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act, which has 50 co-sponsors.[89]

In 2017, Gottheimer called for an independent commission to probe alleged ties between Donald Trump and Russia.[73]

On the possibility of impeaching Trump over the Ukraine scandal, in September 2019 Gottheimer said, "We need to make sure this is fact-driven and evidence-based. You can't prejudge something that is so solemn and obviously could have a big historical impact on our country, and you need to keep the country together."[90]

Gottheimer voted to impeach Trump during both his first impeachment[91] and his second impeachment.[92]

Gottheimer was one of eight Democrats to vote against a resolution that would curtail Trump's war powers following the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.[93]

When asked during a 2020 primary election forum in what ways he supported Trump, Gottheimer answered that, "He’s good on the relationship with U.S.-Israel. Although I don’t agree with everything that...Netanyahu does or says, I think it’s a very important relationship to the United States".[94]

In 2019, Gottheimer stated his opposition to the legalization of recreational marijuana. The statement came after he voted for a bill that would end the federal penalization of banks that serve the cannabis industry.[95]

On December 4, 2020, Gottheimer voted for the MORE Act, which, "...removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances...and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana".[96] The bill passed in the House but did not advance in the Senate.[97] After the bill was reintroduced, Gottheimer voted for it again on April 1, 2022;[98] this time the bill included an amendment that he proposed, which allocated $10 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to perform a study on how to test drivers for marijuana impairment.[99]

On May 22, 2023, Gottheimer announced his support for reducing food waste in the country. He wrote to the United States Department of Agriculture to revise its guidelines for consumers and sellers to dispose of their products with expiration dates. The Representative says the system of determining a product's expiration date needs to be revised so businesses do not throw a product away too soon. Food pantries can benefit from this federal revision and customers can save money when supplies continue to last.[100]

In 2017, Gottheimer said "we need to fix the Affordable Care Act. There's plenty wrong with it, whether it's the medical device tax or the Cadillac tax".[73]

Gottheimer felt that the Trump Administration's American Health Care Act of 2017 did not reflect an effort "to reach across the aisle",[73] and he was mainly concerned that the proposal could raise healthcare costs for senior citizens.[101]

As of 2019, Gottheimer opposed single-payer healthcare,[102] often referred to as "Medicare For All" in American politics.[103]

In June 2019, Gottheimer supported a $4.6 billion border aid package, arguing that the bill's $1 billion for migrant shelter and food and $3 billion for childcare made supporting it, "'...a simple choice for me'...'Get humanitarian aid immediately to children at the border or let the perfect be the enemy of the good and do nothing'".[104] Democratic leadership, however, only reluctantly endorsed the legislation shortly before it was set to be voted on, because they hoped to secure certain restrictions that would result in better quality care for migrants.[105] The bill especially angered progressives, in part because it set aside $280 million for ICE and $1 billion for Customs and Border Protection,[106] resulting in 95 Democratic representatives voting against it.[107]

Gottheimer speaks at a Maryland infrastructure press conference, April 2021

Gottheimer supports New Jersey infrastructure projects, including the Lackawanna Cut-Off and the Gateway Tunnel.[108][109]

In August 2021, Gottheimer led a group of centrist Democrats who sought to ensure infrastructure investment by separating $1 trillion in physical infrastructure funding from a $3.5 trillion "social policy package" that was critical to the Biden Administration's Build Back Better agenda.[110] Progressive democrats preferred that the two be voted on together so that the bundle was more appealing to conservative democrats who supported the physical infrastructure investments but might not vote for the social spending on its own.[111] Ultimately the two packages were voted on separately, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passing[112] and the Build Back Better act failing.[113]

Gottheimer staunchly opposed congestion pricing in Manhattan, New York City, one of most polluted and congested areas of the world.[114][115][116] Gottheimer accused the head of the MTA and a primary congestion-pricing proponent, Janno Lieber, of causing children to get cancer, as traffic around the George Washington Bridge (the entrance to which is in Fort Lee, a town in his 5th district) could increase under a congestion pricing plan due to it being located north of the impacted zone.[117]

Gottheimer has said that, "Our relationship with Israel is a vital relationship"[118] and "Israel [is] our most vital ally in the Middle East".[119]

In March 2023, Gottheimer reaffirmed his pledge to, "...support Israel’s security, grow the Abraham Accords, support a two-state solution and counter threats to Israel and the U.S."; at the same time Gottheimer urged members of Congress to refrain from voicing their concerns over proposed judicial reforms in Israel.[120]

In April 2023, Gottheimer made two official trips to Israel within one week — once as a part of a 12-member delegation of House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and once as one of five Democrats to join Speaker Kevin McCarthy on a bipartisan visit.[121] During the same month, Gottheimer co-sponsored legislation, "...that reaffirmed the House’s support for military aid to Israel" and he stated, "'I’ve worked personally against and successfully killed attempts to condition aid [to Israel]...I’ll continue to work to kill conditions on aid [to the sole] democracy in the region and a critical ally".[122]

In May 2023, Gottheimer introduced legislation expanding anti-boycott laws to include blocking boycotts organized by international governmental organizations, with the intended effect of stopping the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement in the United States.[123]

Gottheimer has confronted fellow Democratic representatives over their comments and stances on Israel: In March 2019, Gottheimer was involved in drafting a House resolution to condemn the "myth of dual loyalty" after Ilhan Omar had accused certain supporters of Israel of having "allegiance to a foreign country";[124] in February 2023, Gottheimer "convinced" Omar to sign a resolution (which he authored) that condemned antisemitism before she was removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee due to her past comments pertaining to Israel;[125] and in July 2023, Gottheimer co-wrote a statement denouncing as "unacceptable" Pramila Jayapal having remarked that Israel is a "racist state"[126]

In October 2023, following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush were the only two congresspeople who, while decrying violence against Palestinians and Israelis, probed the systemic underpinnings of the escalation (including "Israeli military occupation" and "apartheid government") and criticized the United States for having "unconditionally" funded Israel despite these contexts. Gottheimer strongly condemned this language, responding, “It sickens me that while Israelis clean the blood of their family members shot in their homes...[Bush and Tlaib] believe Congress should strip U.S. funding...and allow innocent civilians to suffer".[127][128]

On October 10, 2023, Gottheimer (along with Reps. Claudia Tenney, Max Miller, and Brad Schneider) introduced the "Operation Swords of Iron" Iron Dome Appropriations Act, which Gottheimer wrote, "...is critical to increasing American security assistance for Israel’s missile defense system...[so that] the U.S.-Israel relationship will remain, as it has for decades, ironclad".[129][130]

On October 16, 2023, Gottheimer (along with Reps. Don Bacon, Jared Moskowitz, and Claudia Tenney) led a group of 63 Democrats and 50 Republicans in drafting a letter to President Biden, in which they, "...ask[ed] him to boost Israel’s security, hold Iran accountable for its role in funding Hamas...and put pressure on nations who support Hamas, including Qatar and Türkiye...[as well as] thanked the President for his unwavering support for the State of Israel [and] reaffirmed their commitment to increasing American security assistance".[131][132]

Seeking to stave off a strike during the 2022 railroad labor dispute, Gottheimer, along with 79 House Republicans and all but 8 House Democrats, voted for a measure[133] that forced rail companies and their unions to agree to a, "...deal [including] a 24-percent increase in wages over five years, more schedule flexibility and one additional paid day off," though which, "Several rail unions had rejected...because it lacked paid sick leave,".[134]

According to the New Jersey Globe, Gottheimer has supported law enforcement throughout his tenure, having, "...cosponsored the Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act of 2020 to support first responders impacted by COVID-19, voted for the Thin Blue Line Act," which, "...would make the targeting, killing, or attempted killing of a [state or local] police officer an aggravating factor in favor of maximum sentences,"[135] and worked "...to pass the bipartisan Never Forget the Heroes Act, which provides long-overdue support for 9/11 survivors and first responders".[136]

In January 2022, Gottheimer introduced the Invest to Protect Act, which aimed to provide $200 million in funds over 5 years to smaller police departments.[137] The spending would be targeted at provisions such as officer safety and de-escalation training, body cameras, recruitment and retention, and mental health resources.[138] The Invest to Protect Act passed the House in September 2022 but failed to advance further than a unanimous consent passage in the Senate; in May 2023 Gottheimer reintroduced the bill in the 118th Congress.[139]

Upon being endorsed, in October, for the 2022 election cycle by the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, Gottheimer stated that, "I’m fully committed to funding — not defunding — the training, tools, and support our officers need to fight crime and terror, and protect themselves and our communities...if you want to make something better, you don’t get there by cutting or defunding. You need to make smart, targeted investments...We must always get the backs of those who protect our communities".[140]

Gottheimer said that he thought President Donald Trump acted appropriately in striking Syria in response to the 2018 use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. "There's room the president has to deal with a crisis, and I believed, if you looked at the heinous crimes and atrocities committed, poisoning your own children, that demanded a response, and I'm glad he responded."[73]

On April 15, 2017, Gottheimer announced that he would be introducing the "Anti-Moocher Bill", under which states receiving more federal dollars than they contribute to the national treasury would pay their "fair share", asking: "Why should Alabama get our federal tax dollars and get a free ride, while we're left holding the bag with higher property taxes? It just doesn't make sense."[141]

Gottheimer is a proponent of restoring the full State And Local Tax (SALT) deduction, which was limited to $10,000 by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.[142] Gottheimer has made numerous attempts to uncap the SALT deduction, such as last-minute efforts to negotiate its reduction in 2017;[143] attempts to include the deduction's restoration in Build Back Better legislation circa February 2022;[144] writing to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig to push for a state-level workaround in June 2022;[145] and, beginning in February 2023, leading a bipartisan caucus devoted to the issue.[146]

In August 2023, Gottheimer proposed a plan that would provide families with tax credits to be used towards the administrative and equipment costs of youth sports, helping parents to use, "...pretax dollars, and [boosting] the maximum contribution of these dollars per household" as well as creating, "...a federal grant program to invest in recreational youth sports programs and organizations".[147]

Gottheimer and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick introduced House legislation to support Senator Joe Manchin's initiative to close American ports to Russian oil, natural gas, and coal products.[148]