BOSTON — The state’s top Democrats are blasting threats by the Trump administration to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding for major infrastructure projects in Massachusetts and other blue states in response to the federal government shutdown.
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced late Friday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pausing $11 billion of funding in projects in four states including Massachusetts. Specifically, the Democratic-led cities Boston, Baltimore, New York and San Francisco will be impacted by funding halt.
“The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects,” Vought wrote in a Friday post on social platform X. “The Corps will be immediately pausing over $11 billion in lower-priority projects & considering them for cancellation.”
The funding freeze includes $600 million to repair the federally owned Sagamore and Bourne bridges over the Cape Cod canal, which are aging and slated for replacement.
In a joint statement, Gov. Maura Healey, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and other Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation, said they have not received any information from the federal government regarding this action” and vowed that it would move forward regardless of the threats to cut funding.
“This project is moving forward with funding appropriated by a bipartisan Congress and lawfully awarded by the federal government,” they said. “Our focus remains on rebuilding both bridges and delivering the safe, reliable transportation infrastructure that our residents, visitors and businesses deserve.”
The White House has upped its pressure campaign on Senate Democrats — including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey — to approve a Republican-backed stopgap spending bill that would temporarily reopen the government. Democrats have blocked the bill from advancing at least 11 times in an effort to force an extension of federal health care subsidies.
At least $28 billion in federal funding for transportation and energy projects in cities and states controlled by Democratic politicians has been halted since the shutdown got under several weeks ago. Trump has also pledged to target “Democrat Agencies” for cuts and called for eliminating 4,100 federal jobs as he looks to inflict fiscal pain on his political opponents.
Members of the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation have been holding town hall meetings to criticize the Republican-backed health care cuts and double down on their demands to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Besides Massachusetts, New York — the home state of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — has also been the target of funding cuts by the Trump administration amid the government shutdown. Vought has frozen about $7 billion in funding for the state as part of the latest action.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, blasted the White House’s funding freeze on X: “Good luck with that. We’ll be in touch.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.