Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) rallied with labor union workers and two of her former House colleagues at the Frank R. Lautenberg Station in Secaucus to demand that President Donald Trump (R) follow court orders and release the Gateway Tunnel funding.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Sherrill explained that New Jersey sued Trump and the federal government for withholding funding, “threatening healthcare for families, threatening jobs,” she said in the presence of dozens of Teamster workers late this morning.
“We were back in court again yesterday, and as you know, we won again. And then president is trying to appeal it to the 2nd Circuit, and guess what? We won again!” she declared to applause.
“It’s way past time that the president releases the Gateway Tunnel funds. He’s illegally stopped the, the court have spoken, and now it’s time for people to get back to work … We know this is a historic project. This is the kind of project that makes us all so proud. It’s the type of project that the men and women who work on it are gonna be able to tell their grandkids about.”
She continued that a thousand laborers are out of a job due to Trump’s actions, also noting that NJ Transit faced more delays this week, further evidence was the Gateway project is essential for the entire northeast region.
“Every time he gets involved, workers suffer. All at the same time, we’re seeing report after report after report about the billions of dollars he’s pocketing. That’s why I’m fighting so hard because this is wrong … and it’s illegal. And so we’ve seen great results, but we still need to see the money: As they say, show me the money!”
Sherrill added that the funds were supposed to be released at 1:00 p.m. “or again the President will be in violation of the law.” As of this writing, the Trump administration still had not released the funds.
The governor also said that maintaining construction sites full of equipment and materials while work is stopped, as well as legal fees, are costing the Garden State millions of dollars.
“Congress approved this money. It belongs to the American people! … Let’s get everyone back to work!” she declared.
U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou (D-9) noted that she represents Secaucus, explaining that the train station is named after late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, who championed transportation infrastructure and never sought to use his name on the station as a bargaining chip.
“We have the law, the state’s interests, and common sense on our side! As New Jersey’s only Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, I am a broken record on this … Finishing the Gateway Tunnel is a matter of exceptional importance to New Jersey’s future.”
Pou further stated that New Jersey and New York have already made great progress on the project, which has been halted by Trump’s own selfish needs in her eyes.
“Donald Trump may play golf in Bridgewater, and he may have owned failed casinos in Atlantic City, but … he does not care one iota about the people of the state,” she declared.
U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) lauded the Teamsters present, along with the Hudson County Building Trades Council members, who have been working on the Gateway Tunnel to applause.
He also praised Sherrill’s passion for being “tunnel obsessed” to applause.
“Public infrastructure belongs to all of us. And when we deliver things like Gateway, it restores trust in government and what we are able to do collectively,” Menendez began.
“ … If he [Trump] thinks that his name on buildings is more important than thousands of men and women showing up every single day, I urge him to come here to New Jersey and look them in the eye and tell them their future, our country’s future, is more important, less important to him than him getting his name on a building. I guarantee you he will not!”
Menendez also exclaimed Trump earned himself the nickname “TACO Train: Trump Always Chickens Out!”
On Monday, Sherrill rallied with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and LIUNA members in North Bergen to call on Trump to release Gateway funding after a court victory, days after a work site rally in Weehawken, as HCV first reported.
