On the first day of the federal government shutdown, the Trump administration froze « roughly $18 billion » in infrastructure projects for New York City, home to two of Trump’s Democratic congressional opponents. It’s not the first time Trump has threatened city funding over politics.
On the first day of the federal government shutdown, the Trump administration fired a financial salvo at New York City, home to Senate Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries by freezing $18 billion in infrastructure dollars budgeted by Congress. Schumer and Jeffries are key Democrats in the budget dispute with the White House.
« Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles », said Russell Vought, head of the federal Office of Management and Budget, in a post on X.
In a separate post, the U.S. Department of Transportation explicitly linked the federal review to the shutdown, saying, « USDOT’s review of New York’s unconstitutional practices will take more time » because of the budget impasse. Officials said a disbursement of $300 million in funding for New York’s Second Avenue subway project would be affected immediately.
The $18 billion cut targets money for two major transportation projects.
