The motivations behind Trump's opposition are not entirely clear. It is a direct challenge to a key political rival, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), who has been among the most powerful and vocal backers of federal funding for the project.
Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) visited the Oval Office this year with Schumer, a sometimes friend and sometimes foe of the president. After their last Oval Office meeting, officials left saying that Trump was on board with the project.
Some on Capitol Hill think that Trump is using his opposition to funding the project as a bargaining chip to get Schumer and other congressional Democrats on board with a much larger infrastructure bill that would move through Congress this year.
A number of Democratic elected officials have fought against partnering with private companies, arguing that this isn't free money. Companies that invest in infrastructure, they say, want something back in return. They have also argued that private partnerships could lead to a rise in cronyism.
Senator Chuck Schumer said that this kind of partnership would lead to Trump creating "a plan to appease his political allies, not to rebuild the country," and that these companies would levy "Trump tolls" throughout the US.
|
The above quotations are from Campaign promises compared to follow-up actions taken by the Trump Administration.
Click here for other excerpts from Campaign promises compared to follow-up actions taken by the Trump Administration. Click here for other excerpts by Charles Schumer. Click here for a profile of Charles Schumer.
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
| Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!) |