Menendez: Trump Budget, Infrastructure Plan Declares War on NJ Commuters

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the Senate’s mass transit subcommittee, today released the following statement in response to President Trump’s proposed budget and infrastructure plan:

“Taken together, President Trump’s budget and infrastructure plan is a hit job on New Jersey families and commuters.

“After cutting taxes for corporations by $1.5 trillion, Trump could no longer keep his promise of an historic investment in infrastructure.  Instead, to rebuild America for the 21st century and create jobs, Trump expects New Jersey families and commuters to pay for it through $1.3 trillion in toll, fare and tax hikes.  The Trump plan is nothing short of declaring war on New Jersey commuters.

“Trump’s budget proposal and infrastructure plan actually cuts net federal infrastructure spending by $40 billion and shifts the burden on states and commuters by hiking taxes, tolls and fares by $1.3 trillion.  That means commuters paying more for less.  That means ignoring critical repairs and upgrades to our aging roads, rails and bridges.  That means making travel less safe and less reliable.  That means failing to strengthen safety standards or to implement lifesaving technology, like Positive Train Control, to prevent future tragedies on our rails, like the one in Hoboken.  That means playing Russian roulette with our crumbling Hudson River tunnels, putting lives and our regional and national economies in peril.

“In case it wasn’t clear before, President Trump today tried to land another death blow to Gateway, by having his Federal Transit Administration (FTA) vindictively and inexplicably downgrade the project in order to cut off critical federal funding.  The President thinks he can fool us, but we’re on to his tricks.

“This plan is bad for New Jersey, bad for our country, and I will do everything I can to fight it.”