Senator Gillibrand Statement On Restoration Of Gateway Funding

Feb 18, 2026

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) released millions of dollars that it owed to the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) for construction of the Gateway Hudson Tunnel project. The Trump administration withheld this critical funding for over four months, leading to a recent pause in construction.

"After their loss in court, I am glad that the president and his administration were forced to release the initial funds for the vital Gateway project. I will continue fighting to ensure Gateway is completed and fully funded because good-paying jobs and modern infrastructure are more important than partisan attacks."

The newly released funds include $205 million for work the GDC completed from August through December 2025. USDOT also reimbursed the GDC for another $30 million for work completed in January 2026. Combined, GDC received $235 million from the federal government. The release of funding came after work on the Gateway Hudson Tunnel project was initially paused on February 6 and a ruling was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The states of New York and New Jersey, as well as the Gateway Development Commission in a separate case, are suing the Trump administration.

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