Hillary Clinton dismissed President Trump’s hesitance to back a $29.5 billion rail tunnel project as a “petty” political move Friday night at a real estate industry gathering in New York.
Clinton, speaking to industry members at the Regional Plan Association (RPA) gathering in New York, mentioned the “Gateway Program”—a $29.5 billion venture seeking to link New York City to New Jersey by rail, Fox News reported.
The program, which initially had a cost-estimate of $13.5 billion in 2011 during the Obama administration, now has an estimated price tag of $29.5 billion, according to a letter from several House members sent to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney this month.
Trump threatened to veto an omnibus spending bill in March if it included funding for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) pork barrel rail project for New York and New Jersey, citing concerns about the cost of the program to the federal government.
New York and New Jersey sought to fund the pet project, in part, with federal government funding.
Clinton, however, accused Trump of sidelining the project to get revenge against Schumer, one of his most vocal critics.
“It’s time for the Trump administration to stop using this vital project to settle petty political scores,” Clinton told RPA attendees.
Several Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey and one Republican voiced support for the rail project Friday, accusing states of voting down subsidies for New Jersey while taking federal money for their own pet projects.
“They’re picking on states like ours that have historically sent resources over to them,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said.”You want to keep score? We’ll keep score. We’re going to come after them every single time they’re going to play this.”
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