Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended his division’s funding pause for 2 main NYC transportation tasks Monday — dodging the query of whether or not the funding freeze was payback for the federal government shutdown whereas additionally criticizing New York Sen. Chuck Schumer over the shutdown.
Funding for the tasks — a long-awaited extension of the Second Ave. subway into East Harlem and the development of a brand new tunnel below the Hudson River to double prepare site visitors between New York and New Jersey — was positioned on maintain by the Trump administration final Wednesday within the early hours of the federal shutdown.
Duffy and Workplace of Administration and Price range Director Russell Vought each claimed on the time that the choice was revamped issues that the businesses in control of the tasks — the MTA and the Gateway Growth Fee — have been in arrears of a rule that had solely been printed hours earlier than.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy doubled down on the Trump administration’s resolution to carry funding on two main NYC space tasks on October 6, 2025. (Evan Simko-Bednarski/NYDN)
The rule — which was solely printed to the federal register on Friday — purports to forbid using race- or sex-based components when figuring out whether or not a contractor will be thought-about a “Disadvantaged Business Enterprise” for the needs of a Reagan-era program meant to help large-project contracts going to deprived small companies.
Duffy spoke to reporters at Newark Airport Monday, after assembly with air site visitors controllers who’re working with out pay whereas the federal shutdown continues. The secretary blamed the shutdown on Democrats in Congress, who’ve withheld their votes to fund the federal government pending a take care of the Republican majority in each homes on well being care prices.
Requested Monday if the funding maintain on Second Ave. and the Hudson River Tunnel was a part of an effort to harm Democratic states within the wake of the shutdown, Duffy dodged the query, whereas additionally blaming Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D- New York).
“Several months ago I sent out a letter telling everyone who receives federal money to follow the law,” Duffy stated
“There has been a tendency with some of these projects to look at race and sex as a [marker of a] disadvantaged business as opposed to the size of the company — this is unconstitutional, it’s contrary to law,” he stated. “We had sent out notice, again, months ago. We let them know that this was going to go under review.”
“When the shutdown happened, our civil rights division, most of it was furloughed,” he added. “So the review process is going to take longer than what we would anticipate.”
The legality of sex- and race-based concerns within the DBE course of remains to be a dwell challenge, at the moment being litigated in federal courtroom within the Jap District of Kentucky.
Requested if he was calling the tasks unlawful forward of the completion of USDOT’s evaluation, Duffy then walked again his declare that the businesses have been breaking the regulation.
“What I’m saying is it’s up for review,” Duffy stated. “There’s been issues in New York, not using [the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program] appropriately — looking at the race and the sex of a business as opposed to the size of the business, which is what the law was intended for.”
The Transportation secretary insisted that the Trump administration helps the tasks.
“We’re not trying to shut down these projects – to the contrary, we’re trying to make sure these projects move forward, move forward fast. They’re important,” he stated.
“The question is why would Chuck Schumer, who says he cares about the projects, shut down the government so we don’t have the staff to review the contracting authority used on these projects and if it’s done constitutionally?”
“We’re ready to work with Republicans to reopen the government, and end the health care crisis that faces tens of millions of Americans,” Schumer stated. “But it takes two sides to have a negotiation. We need Senate Republicans to come to the table.”
“Meanwhile, [President] Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson seem to be on another planet because trying to stop the very popular and vital Gateway tunnel and Second Ave. subway mega-projects only screws New York and New Jersey commuters, threatens countless construction jobs and stymies our entire economy,” he added.
Federal funding for each tasks serves largely to reimburse cash already spent, and each GDC and MTA have stated work on their respective tasks can proceed for now.
“Everyone gets the message that New York is getting picked on, ” MTA Chairman Janno Lieber stated Monday. “We’re hoping and expecting that rationality will prevail when the shutdown in resolved.”
“They want to perform a review that we’re in compliance with a rule they sent to us after they announced the review,” Lieber stated. “We’re going to be able to comply with that.”
Final week, requested about the identical challenge, Lieber sought to guarantee New Yorkers that the MTA’s contracting rules would stay.
“We’re going to continue, most importantly, to have an aggressive minority- and women-owned business program in the state-funded side of our capital program,” he stated.
The Trump administration introduced final week that two transit tasks in Chicago — a metropolis to which Trump is trying to deploy the Nationwide Guard — have additionally been denied funding on comparable grounds.
Initially Revealed: October 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM EDT
