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NEW YORK \u2014 New York and New Jersey sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for freezing $16 billion in federal funding for a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between the two states, seeking a quick ruling because construction that has been underway could be forced to shut down as early as Friday.<\/p>\n
The administration put a hold on the funding in September, citing the government shutdown. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on the social platform X at the time that officials believed the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles, and the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was reviewing any \u201cunconstitutional practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan by New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, asks a judge to declare the funding suspension unlawful and order payments to resume immediately so construction can continue without interruption.<\/p>\n
\u201cAllowing this project to stop would put one of the country\u2019s most heavily used transit corridors at risk,\u201d James said in a statement Tuesday evening. \u201dOur tunnels are already under strain, and losing this project could be disastrous for commuters, workers, and our regional economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House and U.S. Transportation Department did not immediately return emails seeking comment Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
A similar lawsuit over the tunnel funding was filed Monday against the federal government by the Gateway Development Commission, a local panel overseeing the project.<\/p>\n
The construction project calls for building a new rail tunnel under the river to carry Amtrak and area transit trains between New Jersey and New York City, as well as repairing an existing, 116-year-old rail tunnel that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.<\/p>\n
Work began in 2023. The project is funded by the 2021 federal infrastructure law signed by Democratic President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n