(Bloomberg) – The White House Budget Director Russell Vought announced more than $ 2 billion for traffic projects in Chicago, the last step of Trump’s administration to use the weaning to target political opponents in the democratic fortress.
Vought soon said in the X post that “$ 2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects-concrete Red Line extension and the red and purple modernization project has been suspended to ensure that the financing does not flow through the contractual contractual.”
President Donald Trump threatened to use government shutdown to fire thousands of federal workers and reduce the programs called the Democrats. The Chicago announcement comes when the weaning enters its Democrats and Republicans at a distance over the renewal of federal financing.
Chicago Transit Authority spokesperson, Governor Illinois JB Pritzker and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson did not respond to requests for commentary.
Since the beginning of the start of this week, Voght has suspended $ 18 billion and $ 8 billion in Democratic States projects.
“The purpose of these critical reviews is to ensure that no other federal dollars are discriminatory, illegal and unnecessary contractual procedures,” the US Department of Transport said in a statement on projects in New York and Chicago.
Chicago became the central point for Trump, who repeatedly threatened to send the units of the National Guard to intervene about what he threw as crime and violence out of control in a strong democratic city.
The Red Line extension in the city, which will add four new stations and expand the service 5.6 mile south of the 95th street, secured in January 2025 from the Federal Transit Grant administration $ 1.97 billion and is scheduled to complete construction in 2031.
The red and purple modernization initiative includes the creation of a new Bypass structure, the conversion of several stations and the installation of a modern signal system.
The White House is also trying to shoot the “thousands” of federal workers. Vought and Trump met on Thursday to discuss federal cuts. The announcement of their plans could come on Friday.
“If they keep the government closed, it will be increasingly painful,” Mike Johnson told reporters on Thursday. The White House “will look at the priorities of administration and make sure they are financed,” he added.
The Senate is scheduled to vote again on Friday at the domestic temporary expenditure law, but it is not expected that this measure will not pass. It is unlikely that the senators would hold votes over the weekend, which would insert it into the next week.
-S using Shruti Date Singh, Danielle Moran and Miranda Davis.
(Update with another context all the time)
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(Tagstotranslate) Budget Budget Director (T) Transport Projects (T) Chicago Infrastructure
