NEW YORK CITY — The Trump administration has frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion in approved funding for Democratic-led congressional districts, including nearly $18 billion in funding for New York City projects, as it seeks to pressure an end to the government shutdown, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
Although the move is widely interpreted as a punitive measure against Democrats, about $738.7 million in funding in 14 Republican-led congressional districts was also paused, according to The Times’ examination of federal funding records.
While the bulk of the nearly $18 billion in funding is for two major New York City transit projects — the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway expansion — funds for projects in other city boroughs were also cut.
Here’s a breakdown of the other funding cuts:
Queens:
New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses parts of northeastern Queens, and is represented by Democrat Tom Suozzi, is set to lose $11.2 million in funding for one project, according to the Times analysis.
New York’s 6th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Grace Meng, which encompasses neighborhoods in West, Central, and Northeast Queens, is set to $1.5 million in funding for one project.
Brooklyn:
New York’s 9th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Yvette Clarke, encompasses portions of central and southern Brooklyn, will lose $1.1 million in funding for one project.
Harlem/The Bronx:
New York’s 13th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Adriano Espaillat, encompasses parts of Harlem and the Bronx, is set to lose $1.2 million in project funds.
Manhattan:
New York’s 12th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Jerry Nadler, includes Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Morningside Heights, Chelsea, Central Park and parts of Midtown.
The district is set to lose $3.8 million for funding in two projects.
Staten Island was not included in the analysis.
Critics say the cancellation of the projects is an escalation of President Donald Trump’s use of executive power to disadvantage Democratic-leaning states and benefit Republican-leaning ones. He has threatened further cuts if the stalemate continues, describing it as an opportunity “handed to us on a silver platter” to lay off more federal workers and gut funding, perhaps permanently, The Times reported.
The halted funding, secured after years of lobbying, included new investments in clean energy, electric grid upgrades and transportation infrastructure. In some cases, funding had already been partially dispersed, and work on the projects had already begun.
The Trump administration has withheld billions in federal aid from New York and Chicago, targeting transportation and security funding. Chicago saw $2.1 billion for transit upgrades halted.
The White House justified the freezes by citing reviews of the cities’ contracting policies, scrutinizing decisions based on race, diversity, or inclusion. The Trump administration has long been at odds with Democratic leaders from both states, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer in New York, and Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker in Illinois.
Two days into the shutdown, the Trump administration cut $7.6 billion from 223 energy projects across 16 states, predominantly Democratic-led. These cancellations, targeting climate and infrastructure funding from the Biden administration, were deemed “not economically viable” or misaligned with Trump’s energy policy.
Critics say the cuts are politically motivated and counter to bipartisan goals like preventing power outages and modernizing energy grids, as well as investments in newer sources like hydrogen.