Brace yourselves, folks—$11 billion in infrastructure dreams are grinding to a halt in Democrat-led strongholds, all thanks to a government shutdown that has partisan fingerprints all over it, as Breitbart reports.
As announced by White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, this massive pause affects projects in cities like Boston, Baltimore, New York, and San Francisco, with the blame pinned squarely on what’s been dubbed the "Democrat shutdown."
Let’s rewind to early October, when Vought first dropped the bombshell that $18 billion in New York City projects alone were being shelved, including heavyweights like the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Avenue Subway.
Why the holdup? The shutdown stems from a bitter standoff over expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies, with Democrats digging in their heels and bringing government operations to a screeching stop.
Vought didn’t mince words on social media, stating, “The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects,” in a post on X.
That’s right -- while the Army Corps is sidelined, over $11 billion in so-called lower-priority projects across multiple cities are now on the chopping block, teetering on the edge of outright cancellation.
Back in New York, the earlier announcement of an $18 billion freeze was tied to a push against what Vought called “unconstitutional DEI principles” in funding allocations.
He elaborated at the time, saying, “Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on controversial policy mandates.”
Now, while urban centers bear the brunt, it’s worth noting the OMB’s commitment to keep paying servicemembers during this mess -- a small but welcome lifeline amidst the chaos.
But not everything is rosy on the administration’s side; the Trump administration has issued around 4,600 reductions in force (RIFs) across departments during the shutdown.
A federal judge in San Francisco stepped in with a temporary halt to these RIFs, citing legal concerns over using the shutdown as a justification for workforce slashes.
While that legal battle brews, the OMB seems ready to hunker down, with a post on X declaring their intent to “batten down the hatches” and weather the storm of Democrats' resistance.
Let’s be clear: this shutdown isn’t just a Beltway squabble -- it’s stalling bridges, tunnels, and subways that millions rely on in cities already stretched thin.
Sure, one could argue that Democrats are standing on principle over healthcare subsidies, but at what cost to the very communities they claim to champion?
As the Army Corps of Engineers prepares to release more details on which projects face the axe, taxpayers in Boston, Baltimore, New York, and San Francisco are left wondering when -- or if -- their cities will get back on track.