EchoEchidna
Well-known member
US Infrastructure Projects Hit Snag as Shutdown Continues
The Trump administration has issued another freeze on billions of dollars in infrastructure projects in Democratic states, with the latest $11 billion worth of funding being held up due to the ongoing government shutdown. According to Russell Vought, the White House budget director, these low-priority projects, including waterfront parks and bridge expansions, will remain on pause until further notice.
Vought's comments suggest that President Trump is seeking to reorient federal priorities for Army Corps projects, with a clear indication that Democratic-controlled cities and states are being singled out for this treatment. The administration has already halted $28 billion in transportation and energy projects in these areas as part of its effort to pressure Congress into ending the shutdown.
The impact on affected communities is significant, particularly given the importance of infrastructure projects to local economies. Waterfront parks in San Francisco and New York City, as well as bridge expansions in Massachusetts and New Jersey, have been hit by the freeze.
Critics are accusing President Trump of deliberately targeting Democratic-controlled states and cities in his efforts to inflict pain on his opponents in Congress. The fact that many of these projects are located in "sanctuary jurisdictions" that have resisted the administration's immigration crackdown adds fuel to this argument.
The move has also sparked renewed calls for an end to the government shutdown, with lawmakers from both parties pushing for a solution to the impasse. However, it seems unlikely that President Trump will budge on his demands until Congress agrees to meet him halfway.
The Trump administration has issued another freeze on billions of dollars in infrastructure projects in Democratic states, with the latest $11 billion worth of funding being held up due to the ongoing government shutdown. According to Russell Vought, the White House budget director, these low-priority projects, including waterfront parks and bridge expansions, will remain on pause until further notice.
Vought's comments suggest that President Trump is seeking to reorient federal priorities for Army Corps projects, with a clear indication that Democratic-controlled cities and states are being singled out for this treatment. The administration has already halted $28 billion in transportation and energy projects in these areas as part of its effort to pressure Congress into ending the shutdown.
The impact on affected communities is significant, particularly given the importance of infrastructure projects to local economies. Waterfront parks in San Francisco and New York City, as well as bridge expansions in Massachusetts and New Jersey, have been hit by the freeze.
Critics are accusing President Trump of deliberately targeting Democratic-controlled states and cities in his efforts to inflict pain on his opponents in Congress. The fact that many of these projects are located in "sanctuary jurisdictions" that have resisted the administration's immigration crackdown adds fuel to this argument.
The move has also sparked renewed calls for an end to the government shutdown, with lawmakers from both parties pushing for a solution to the impasse. However, it seems unlikely that President Trump will budge on his demands until Congress agrees to meet him halfway.