From the moment Donald Trump reentered the Oval Office, he declared war on New York.
He tried to kill congestion pricing — and failed. He tried to strip $187 million in critical counterterrorism funding from the NYPD — and failed. And most recently, he tried to stop Gateway tunnel construction, the largest transportation project in the country — and failed.
The common denominator? Gov. Hochul, who doesn’t give in to pressure. She works the phones and puts politics aside to do what’s right for New Yorkers.
As the most senior Northeastern member of the House Transportation Committee and the representative of Manhattan’s West Side, I’ve fought for decades to improve cross-Hudson travel. That goal was finally realized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which unlocked $16 billion to build two new rail tubes under the Hudson River, augmenting the century-old tubes that carry more than 200,000 daily riders.
Flooded by Superstorm Sandy, the existing tunnel is a ticking time bomb for the Northeast Corridor. A single failure could cripple commutes, cost billions in economic losses, and strand millions of New Yorkers. Hochul understood those stakes — and acted.
During Trump’s first term, his administration tried to derail Gateway with funding denials, endless reviews, and political gamesmanship. That all changed when Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, committing federal dollars and getting shovels in the ground. By 2023, construction was underway, creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.
When Trump returned to power in 2025, he resumed his vendetta. In October, he froze federal funding Congress had already appropriated, declaring the project “terminated.” By February, construction ground to a halt — laying off about 1,000 union workers and putting the entire project in jeopardy.
The governor refused to let that stand. She joined forces with the biggest voices on Gateway — Attorney General Tish James, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and me — to take a whole-of-government approach to reclaim this funding. With so much on the line, this effort required a coordinated approach to fighting in the courts and being clear to the public about what was at stake if the president abandoned our tremendous progress on Gateway.
She rallied labor leaders and workers at the job site, making clear the freeze was unlawful and politically motivated. A Manhattan federal judge agreed, blocking the freeze. An appeals court swiftly upheld that decision.
Even then, Trump tried to release funding in tranches, but the governor was explicit: We need full funding now. We cannot continue this back-and-forth game, which will drive up costs and throw the project off schedule — supposedly the president’s main gripe about Gateway.
In the end, New Yorkers secured $98 million in overdue funding and an additional $30 million reimbursing January’s work. Construction moves forward.
This victory isn’t just about a tunnel; it’s about leadership. While Republicans like Bruce Blakeman stayed silent, too spineless to break from the president even as he attacked our state, Hochul built coalitions, mobilized unions, and applied pressure at every level. She put New Yorkers first.
Gateway’s benefits are immense and national. Construction alone will generate nearly $20 billion in economic activity and tens of thousands of jobs. It’s a triumph of the Infrastructure Law — sabotaging it hurts everyone, not just blue states.
I was proud to fight for Gateway’s funding in Congress, and I’m proud to stand with the governor as she defends it. New Yorkers deserve leaders who build tunnels, not barriers. With Kathy Hochul leading the charge, we will keep delivering for New Yorkers.
Nadler serves as the representative of New York’s 12th Congressional District.
