President Donald Trump’s budget director announced $2.1 billion in federal infrastructure money for Chicago is being paused as the administration continues to target money for blue cities and states amid the government shutdown.
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the frozen dollars had been allocated to support improvements to Chicago Transit Authority rail lines.
Vought earlier announced that $18 billion in infrastructure funds for New York, the home state of Democratic congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, had been put on hold and $8 billion in Department of Energy projects in 16 blue states was cut.
Who is Russ Vought? OMB director expected to play big role in shutdown.
Democrats have complained about the funding cuts.
“We’re less than a day into this shutdown, and Trump & Vought are illegally punishing Democrat-led states,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington,Ā said on social media, calling the moves “mafioso tactics.”
Trump has talked about cutting “Democrat thingsā during the shutdown. The president said on social media Oct. 2 that he was meeting with Vought “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.”
The president has feuded with Chicago leaders amid threats to deploy the National Guard in the city.
Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 17, 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security recently requested the National Guard deploy in Illinois “to safeguard Federal personnel, property, and functions,” according to the Pentagon.
“Any decisions will be made in accordance with established processes and announced at the appropriate time,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration freezes funding for Chicago amid shutdown
