Trump Offers $16B Gateway Funds for Renamings, Rejected

President Donald Trump proposed last month to release $16 billion in frozen federal funding for the Gateway Hudson River tunnel project in exchange for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's support in renaming Washington Dulles International Airport and New York Penn Station after him, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The offer, made amid ongoing disputes over the project's financing, was swiftly rejected by Schumer, who informed the White House that he lacked the authority to facilitate such renamings.

The Gateway project, a critical infrastructure initiative connecting New York and New Jersey, involves rehabilitating the existing Hudson River rail tunnels damaged by Superstorm Sandy and constructing two new ones to support Amtrak and commuter rail services between Manhattan and points in New Jersey. The effort, which received about $15 billion in federal commitments under the previous administration, aims to enhance rail capacity and reliability for millions of daily passengers. Construction began with bipartisan backing but faced setbacks when Trump halted funding reimbursements in October during a broader budget impasse with Democrats.