Overview
- Multiple outlets report the president offered to release more than $16 billion for the Gateway tunnel only if Penn Station and Dulles International Airport were named after him, an idea first reported by Punchbowl News.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected the request and noted he lacks authority over those names, as Dulles is federally controlled and Amtrak owns Penn Station.
- Federal payments have been frozen since October under an OMB and USDOT review that officials linked to contracting and alleged unconstitutional DEI concerns, a rationale project leaders dispute.
- Construction paused Friday after a credit line was exhausted, with the Gateway Development Commission citing roughly 1,000 immediate job losses and warning of broader regional impacts if the shutdown continues.
- After the reports, the president claimed Schumer suggested renaming Penn Station; Schumer publicly denied that as an “absolute lie,” while lawsuits by New York, New Jersey and the GDC seek court-ordered restoration of funds.