White House Halts Billions for Windy City Transit Projects
The federal freeze on billions earmarked for Chicago transit initiatives was declared on Friday, according to OMB Director the budget director.
Targeted Projects
Among the initiatives targeted by the budget pause are the Red Line extension, which was set to start building next year and extend mass transit to underprivileged areas in the city.
Additionally, modernization efforts on a number of public transport routes were also paused.
Explanation for the Pause
The official wrote on online platforms that the money was “put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”
The announcement comes after a parallel decision recently involving NYC, where the official said that $18 million for infrastructure would be halted, including money for a proposed train tunnel under the river.
Government Shutdown Situation
This action happens as the federal government closure continues into its third consecutive day, with the upper chamber set to conduct a vote later in the day.
Regardless of the planned legislative action, there is scant confidence that a agreement is near, as opposition lawmakers demand a set of health-related concessions.
Broader Implications
Additionally, a rising number of national offices and personnel are explicitly blaming opposition leaders for the closure.
This political messaging by departments is potentially a violation of the government ethics law, which bans federal employees from conducting political campaigning.
Suspended government workers at certain departments have been told to set out-of-office messages indicating that they are not working because the Democratic party initiated a closure.
“The far left has chosen to shut down the United States government in the name of reckless spending and obstructionism,” a federal agency page states.
Even, advisories over economic impact seem not to be stimulating negotiation attempts.
An analysis by a consulting firm indicated that every seven-day period the shutdown persists will mean a $7 billion blow to the US economy.