Federal Judge Jeannette Vargas has ordered the Trump administration to resume funding for the $16 billion Gateway project, paving the way for construction work to resume on new Hudson River tunnels. The Manhattan-based judge's decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by New York and New Jersey attorneys general against the federal government, who argued that the White House's order to withhold funds was unlawful and would cause significant economic harm.
The lawsuit claimed that the Trump administration's actions were an attempt to exert pressure on Democrats over immigration policy. Gateway officials had previously announced that work on the project had been paused due to a line of credit being exhausted, but the judge's ruling has now lifted this obstacle.
New Jersey lawyer Shankar Duraiswamy told a Manhattan court that pausing the project would cause irreparable harm, and warned that if the disruption were to drag on, it could "torpedo" the entire project. Gateway officials have previously stated that the tunnel project is crucial for maintaining existing infrastructure, as the old tubes are damaged and need to be closed and repaired.
The decision has been welcomed by state leaders, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James. They claimed that the ruling was a victory for thousands of union workers who will build the Gateway and hundreds of thousands of commuters who rely on it daily.
In an unexpected move, it emerged that the White House had previously offered to lift the funding freeze in exchange for Democrats' support for renaming Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport after President Trump.
The lawsuit claimed that the Trump administration's actions were an attempt to exert pressure on Democrats over immigration policy. Gateway officials had previously announced that work on the project had been paused due to a line of credit being exhausted, but the judge's ruling has now lifted this obstacle.
New Jersey lawyer Shankar Duraiswamy told a Manhattan court that pausing the project would cause irreparable harm, and warned that if the disruption were to drag on, it could "torpedo" the entire project. Gateway officials have previously stated that the tunnel project is crucial for maintaining existing infrastructure, as the old tubes are damaged and need to be closed and repaired.
The decision has been welcomed by state leaders, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James. They claimed that the ruling was a victory for thousands of union workers who will build the Gateway and hundreds of thousands of commuters who rely on it daily.
In an unexpected move, it emerged that the White House had previously offered to lift the funding freeze in exchange for Democrats' support for renaming Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport after President Trump.
just read about the gateway tunnel project getting funded again!! i was low-key hoping they'd get it done since those old tubes are literally falling apart 
anyway, guess politics played a role here lol didn't see that twist about penn station and airport names tho... sounds like trump's got some major leverage 
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! I mean, think about it - we were on the verge of losing out on a major infrastructure project that'll benefit thousands of people daily 
. The fact that a federal judge stepped in and said "hold up, not so fast" is music to my ears 
. Now, construction can resume, and we get to see some awesome new tunnels under the Hudson River 
! It's all about moving forward and getting stuff done, right? And who knows, maybe this is just a silver lining in an already busy news cycle 
. I'm not gonna lie, I was worried for those union workers and commuters, but it seems like we dodged a bullet 
. Bring on the progress! 
.
that a judge was able to order the feds to resume funding for this project. I mean, it's a huge financial burden but I guess if we're gonna keep our tunnels open, we gotta do what we gotta do 
. And can you believe the White House tried to pull a fast one by offering to lift the freeze in exchange for renaming airports and stuff? Like, come on 
. It's just another example of how politicians think they can buy people off with favors and prestige. Newsflash: it's not gonna work 
. The real question is what's gonna happen now that construction can start again? Is anyone even keeping an eye on the budget or are we just gonna keep racking up the debt 
?
i guess u gotta do what u gotta do when ur in power right?
, this gateway project is gonna be a game changer for the entire region! I'm so stoked that justice has been served and those funds are finally flowing again 
. and can we talk about how crazy it is that the white house was trying to use the funding as leverage for renaming airports & train stations? like, no way José 
️ anyway, glad the workers and commuters will be getting the work done on time now 
️
Did they really think that would fly with Democrats? 
And then theres this weird part where they offered to lift the funding freeze if NYC & DC would just name some airports after Trump... like, what's next? 
? Give me a break! 
The real winners here are the thousands of workers who'll be employed and the commuters who don't wanna spend their daily commute stuck in traffic or waiting for trains 
.
and can you even imagine what would've happened if construction just ground to a halt? it's wild that they tried to use immigration policy as leverage... i mean, come on!