Unfreeze Funds for Gateway Tunnel

Floor Speech

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, during the government shutdown last fall, OMB Director Russell Vought announced that the Trump administration would be pausing billions of dollars in funding for the Hudson River Gateway Tunnel project.

This critical project creates a much-needed passenger rail tunnel under the Hudson River, supplementing existing tunnels that were built over 100 years ago, and will deliver thousands of commuters in and out of New York every day in the busiest Amtrak corridor in the United States.

For several months, the White House has held these funds captive over misleading claims that the project's contracting policies violate administration policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Last week, the Gateway Development Commission announced that construction will have to cease if President Trump does not swiftly restore the project's funding. If construction is delayed, thousands of union construction workers will lose their jobs, and timely completion of this project will be in jeopardy.

Mr. Speaker, I implore the President to end this vindictive quest to hurt people in the Northeast and immediately unfreeze project funds to allow for the construction to resume.

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