The Trump administration announced on Friday that it is pausing more than $11 billion in federally funded projects, primarily in cities led by Democratic officials, as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought stated that the decision impacts projects managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore. Vought indicated that the affected projects were categorized as “lower priority” and could potentially be permanently canceled.
The Army Corps employs approximately 37,000 personnel and manages both domestic infrastructure and military projects globally. Critics have asserted that this pause may disproportionately affect Democratic strongholds. For example, Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) expressed concern regarding the impact of this decision on cities like Baltimore.
This announcement follows previous freezes of funding, including $18 billion for New York City infrastructure projects, $8 billion for climate initiatives in states such as California and Colorado, and $2.1 billion in Department of Transportation funding for Chicago’s transit system.
Vought mentioned that more details on the paused and canceled projects will be provided in the near future.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
