‘Release the funds’: NJ workers riled up as major project grinds to a halt

💲Gateway Tunnel work remains stalled

💲A federal judge pauses release of $200 million until Thursday

💲Legal fight escalates with an appeal pending

NORTH BERGEN — Despite optimism that work would resume on the Gateway Tunnel project after a judge ordered the release of federal funds, the money is on hold until Thursday.

Judge Jeanette Vargas, who ordered the release of $200 million in funds on Friday, denied an application filed by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to stay the ruling because New Jersey and New York have proven the impact of a prolonged shutdown on the economy.

But Vargas did grant a pause in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday to give the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals time to consider the government's appeal. The pause means that work cannot resume until the funds are actually released.

Union workers rally for the project

At a union worker rally on Monday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill continued to pound at President Donald Trump, who "terminated" the funding in October over the federal government shutdown and frustration at U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

"So here we are, all this equipment waiting to be put to work. All of you, not on the job because the president of the United States cares more about politics than he does about working men and women in this country. That's not acceptable. That's not acceptable," Sherrill said.

The workers responded with a chant of "release the funds!"

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Trump and Schumer point fingers over naming

The Trump Administration has not formally commented on the judge's decision or on a lawsuit filed by the Gateway Development Commission.

Trump denied reports Friday that he offered to release the funds in exchange for naming New York Penn Station and Dulles International Airport in Washington after him.

“Chuck Schumer suggested that to me, about changing the name of Penn Station to Trump Station. Dulles Airport is really separate,” Trump responded.

Schumer responded on social media: “Absolute lie. He knows it. Everyone knows it. Only one man can restart the project and he can restart it with the snap of his fingers.”

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