Following the government shutdown on Wednesday, the Trump administration froze billions in federal funds meant for two major transit projects in New Jersey and New York. The Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River and the Second Avenue Subway extension were both halted following an order by Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
The Gateway project would add a new two-track rail tunnel linking New Jersey to Manhattan, allowing the existing tunnel, damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, to be repaired.
The freeze drew immediate criticism from New Jersey leaders as a direct attack on residents. Katie Brennan, Democratic nominee for the state General Assembly, said the move will burden those who rely on the infrastructure, particularly commuters.
“We pay federal taxes but get a President who sees us as the enemy and takes away our own money as retaliation. It has to stop,” Brennan said in video on social media, adding, “This is just the latest example of Trump showing us that he is unfit to lead this country.”
She argued the decision threatens the regional economy. “These funds were already approved. And if people can’t cross the Hudson to get to work, it will literally destroy our economy.”
Brennan urged state leaders to push back against Washington, calling for lawsuits, withholding federal tax payments and even seizing Trump’s Bedminster golf course, a move she said could be used to build more affordable housing.
“Yes, New Jersey should sue the Trump administration, but we have to do more,” she said. “We should be withholding federal taxes, dollar for dollar, to backfill any funding that is illegally cut.”
Brennan also stated that we are already “a decade behind” on the tunnel project “because of Chris Christie,” she added, referencing Christie’s cancellation of an early version of the project during his time as governor.
It’s a noted change of tone from New Jersey leaders, who see the Trump admin’s actions as an assault on everyday New Jerseyans.
New Jersey Is the Least Dependent State in the U.S.
According to a study from earlier this year, New Jersey is the least federally dependent state in the nation, contributing billions more in federal taxes than they receive each year.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.