White House Holds $18B in New York Infrastructure Funding as Shutdown Begins
As the federal government shutdown began, the Trump administration — via the Office of Management and Budget — placed roughly $18 billion in New York infrastructure funding on hold, a review the U.S. Department of Transportation explicitly tied to the shutdown. The freeze immediately affected projects including a $300 million disbursement for the Second Avenue subway and funding for the Hudson Tunnel. President Trump praised OMB Director Russell Vought for "trimming the budget," while Democratic leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the move.
Infrastructure
Politics
Economy
🔍 Key Facts
- As the federal government shutdown began, the White House/OMB placed roughly $18 billion in federal funding for New York infrastructure on hold, including money for subway and Hudson Tunnel projects.
- USDOT explicitly tied its review of the New York funding to the federal shutdown in its public statement.
- An immediate operational impact: a $300 million disbursement for the Second Avenue subway will be affected right away.
- The funding action and related statements were publicly communicated by OMB/Director Russell Vought via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
- Other officials, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, issued public remarks responding to the funding hold.
- President Trump praised OMB Director Russ Vought’s ability to 'trim the budget' and framed the shutdown as an opportunity to reshape spending priorities.
📰 Sources (3)
Trump uses government shutdown to dole out firings and political punishment
New information:
- Direct attribution that OMB placed roughly $18 billion on hold for New York subway and Hudson Tunnel projects during the shutdown (confirmed in this AP piece)
- Contextual quote from President Trump praising OMB Director Russ Vought's ability to 'trim the budget' and framing the shutdown as an opportunity to reshape spending priorities
Trump freezes $18 billion in funding for NYC, home to key Democratic leaders
New information:
- USDOT explicitly tied its review of New York funding to the federal shutdown in its statement, per NPR reporting.
- NPR reports an immediate operational effect: a $300 million disbursement for the Second Avenue subway project will be affected immediately.
- Direct attributions and quotes included from Russell Vought (OMB post on X), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (post on X), and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's press‑conference remarks.