New York and New Jersey Sue Trump Administration Over Funding Halt for Hudson River Tunnel Project
A joint lawsuit was filed by both state attorneys general in federal court on Tuesday, as efforts continued to unfreeze funding for a new set of train tunnels under the Hudson River. The move comes as the Gateway Development Commission, which oversees the $16 billion project, is facing its own lawsuit over the White House's decision to halt the funds.
According to officials from the Gateway Development Commission, the freeze could prompt them to halt construction as early as this Friday. The commission had warned that such a scenario would put one of the country's most heavily used transit corridors at risk.
New York Attorney General Letitia James weighed in on the issue, stating that "Allowing this project to stop would put one of the country’s most heavily used transit corridors at risk." She argued that the tunnels are already under strain and losing the project could have disastrous consequences for commuters, workers, and the regional economy.
The lawsuit from New York and New Jersey seeks to order the federal government to resume payments and allow construction to continue. The attorneys general claim that the White House's decision to freeze funding is in breach of contract and also violates the Administrative Procedure Act due to a lack of legal footing.
This latest development comes on the heels of Monday's litigation, which alleged that the White House was in breach of contract over the funding issue. However, this new lawsuit takes a different tack, arguing that the abrupt funding cut harms New York and New Jersey residents and undermines the legitimacy of the decision.
The halt in funding had previously been implemented due to concerns about federal regulations requiring a certain percentage of contracts for women- and minority-owned businesses. However, officials from the Gateway Development Commission claim that they have complied with all relevant requirements.
It remains unclear at this point whether the federal government will resume payments, but New Jersey Transit and Amtrak riders are breathing a sigh of relief as the old tunnels that were damaged in Hurricane Sandy in 2012 are set to be closed for repairs. The project's leaders warn that the tunnels are at risk of collapse and cannot continue without the new infrastructure.
As the situation continues to unfold, neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a comment on the matter, leaving it up to the courts to ultimately decide the fate of this massive infrastructure project.
A joint lawsuit was filed by both state attorneys general in federal court on Tuesday, as efforts continued to unfreeze funding for a new set of train tunnels under the Hudson River. The move comes as the Gateway Development Commission, which oversees the $16 billion project, is facing its own lawsuit over the White House's decision to halt the funds.
According to officials from the Gateway Development Commission, the freeze could prompt them to halt construction as early as this Friday. The commission had warned that such a scenario would put one of the country's most heavily used transit corridors at risk.
New York Attorney General Letitia James weighed in on the issue, stating that "Allowing this project to stop would put one of the country’s most heavily used transit corridors at risk." She argued that the tunnels are already under strain and losing the project could have disastrous consequences for commuters, workers, and the regional economy.
The lawsuit from New York and New Jersey seeks to order the federal government to resume payments and allow construction to continue. The attorneys general claim that the White House's decision to freeze funding is in breach of contract and also violates the Administrative Procedure Act due to a lack of legal footing.
This latest development comes on the heels of Monday's litigation, which alleged that the White House was in breach of contract over the funding issue. However, this new lawsuit takes a different tack, arguing that the abrupt funding cut harms New York and New Jersey residents and undermines the legitimacy of the decision.
The halt in funding had previously been implemented due to concerns about federal regulations requiring a certain percentage of contracts for women- and minority-owned businesses. However, officials from the Gateway Development Commission claim that they have complied with all relevant requirements.
It remains unclear at this point whether the federal government will resume payments, but New Jersey Transit and Amtrak riders are breathing a sigh of relief as the old tunnels that were damaged in Hurricane Sandy in 2012 are set to be closed for repairs. The project's leaders warn that the tunnels are at risk of collapse and cannot continue without the new infrastructure.
As the situation continues to unfold, neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a comment on the matter, leaving it up to the courts to ultimately decide the fate of this massive infrastructure project.
and now they're just gonna put everything at risk if we don't get that funding back on track 
it's like, what even is the point of having a big project like this if we can't see it through to the end? 
I feel for all those workers who are counting on a paycheck... and letitia james is totally right - this is a huge deal for commuters, workers, and the regional economy too 
? I mean, we need those tunnels ASAP! The thought of commuters and workers having to deal with even more congestion and delays is just too much to handle 
. And what about the economic impact on New Jersey and New York?! It's not like they're asking for a free ride or anything 
. Can't the White House just make an exception this one time? Or, you know, follow through on their end of the contract deal 
. The suspense is killing me 
This is so frustrating! A $16 billion project that's supposed to improve transportation and reduce congestion in one of the most heavily used corridors in the country gets frozen due to some minor regulatory tweak? 
... These states are just tryin' to get their hands on some cash from Trump, but there's more to it than that 
. The fact that they're just waitin' for the courts to decide what happens is suspicious too 
. There's gotta be more to this than meets the eye 
.
They need those tunnels to be finished ASAP! 
It's like, can't we all just get along and figure this out without all the drama? 
Let's hope the courts can help sort this out soon, it's already causing so much anxiety for everyone involved 
anyway i feel 4 nj riders they gotta close those old tunnels for repairs ASAP or else ppl will be stuck in traffic 4eva 
thats a whole lotta pressure on those gov officials to get it done ASAP 
. The thought of those old tunnels collapsing is just terrifying. And what's with all these lawsuits? Can't they just talk it out like normal people? 
It feels like we're back in the George W. Bush era, where everything was just so... unpredictable 
. we need this project done ASAP so we don't end up with a major transit crisis on our hands 
It's gonna be a disaster when the old tunnels close down because of Hurricane Sandy... I mean, what were they thinking?! 
. The Gateway Development Commission has been clear about their requirements for compliance with federal regulations, so why are they being singled out like this? On the other hand... no, that's not true at all – the White House is clearly in the right here and Trump just wants to make America great again by cutting unnecessary bureaucracy 
I remember when you guys were talking about how bad the old tunnels were after Sandy, and now they're gonna be closed for repairs because of it...this whole thing is just a mess 
the courts gotta step in here and fast 
