As USDOT Sec. Duffy Halts Big NY Projects,
Republicans Voice Impacts in Their Districts
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration’s decision to hold funding on two major NYC area projects—the long-anticipated extension of the Second Ave. subway into East Harlem and the construction of a new tunnel under the Hudson River to double train traffic between New York and New Jersey—was announced last Wednesday in the early hours of the federal shutdown.
Observers believe the funding freeze was payback to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer for the government shutdown with a ripple effect now being felt nationwide, and in Republican districts.
So far, few Republicans have made much public noise about the White House’s shutdown cancellations along with the some $20 billion to fund put on hold for the new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and subway project.
Other affected projects include $1 billion for the Pacific Northwest hydrogen hub that was expected to create jobs in Republican districts in Oregon, Washington and Montana; $29 million for a new hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing facility; and more than $26 million for two projects in Congressman Rep. Mike Lawler’s district in sections of Rockland and Westchester Counties. One project, the $19.7 million “methane characterization” project at IBM’s global research headquarters in Yorktown Heights, NY, is among the biggest casualties.
“I’m in New York and I’m a Republican, and obviously this project cancellation impacts my district, so it’s not just Democrats getting impacted,” Mr. Lawler said on CNN.
Politico reported yesterday that New York is getting whipsawed by the Trump administration’s aggressive cost-cutting strategy. It listed about $467 million that is being cut from clean energy projects in New York by the Trump administration, a portion of the $8 billion in Department of Energy grants in mostly blue states, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s calculations.
“My office has been actively engaged with the White House since Tuesday morning to push for the reversal of both of these decisions and restoration of full funding,” Rep. Lawler wrote on social media. “We will continue working with the administration and my colleagues in Congress to make sure New York gets the support it needs to protect its residents and strengthen our economy.”
In other published reports, New Jersey Republican Tom Kean also denounced the cancellation of federal funding for the Gateway tunnel project, but dug in his partisan heals by blaming his counterparts across the aisle in Congress for the shutdown, which is now into a second week.
For more federal government shutdown impacts on construction and infrastructure projects, see the October edition of CONSTRUCTION NEWS, www.cicbca.org.
Published: October 8, 2025.