In what appears to be a case of extreme political hardball, the Trump administration has frozen funding for two of the most important infrastructure projects in the country, both based in New York City: the construction of new tunnels to carry trains under the Hudson River, known as the Gateway project, and the extension of Manhattan’s Second Avenue Subway. The White House’s decision, announced during the government shutdown, seems designed to put pressure on Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leaders in the Senate and House respectively, who both happen to represent New York State. But the specific way in which Donald Trump has decided to block the projects—by imposing an onerous regulatory-review process—is a troubling omen of how he might broadly undermine development across the country. A figure who campaigned on promises to slash government bureaucracy and unleash prosperity has now become the nation’s NIMBY in chief.
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