NEWARK, New Jersey — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday slammed the Trump administration’s threats to withhold funding from the nation’s largest infrastructure project as “arbitrary,” “capricious” and “illegal.”
Sherrill’s (D) comments came a day after New Jersey filed a lawsuit with New York in an effort to get the administration to release federal funding for the Gateway project, which would build a new train tunnel connecting the two states. It’s the second suit filed this week over the funding; the first was from the bistate Gateway Development Commission on Monday.
“This is a political decision by the president to cancel money that is already in a pot being ready to be put to work,” Sherrill told reporters during a press conference at Newark Penn Station. “So that’s why we’re fighting. This state lawsuit will demand that the spigot stay open for the funding, that people stay at work and we can continue to get this project done.”
Without funding, work on the project is expected to be paused Friday. The suit seeks relief by then, as well as more relief later this month, acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said.
