After the federal government shut down on Wednesday, Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, who’s running against Trump-endorsed GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli, criticized the President for freezing $12 billion in federal funds for the development of two tunnels under the Hudson River to connect New Jersey and New York.
Sherrill told MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell: “This means almost 100,000 jobs to the region. It’s $12 billion that we got denoted to this and Jack Ciattarelli literally has once again sat by and said nothing to Donald Trump, attacking the economy of New Jersey.” (Sherrill has promised to sue the Trump administration if elected.)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed Sherrill’s complaint on Thursday. With the video below, Hochul wrote: “Meet the seven New York Republicans who bowed to Donald Trump and let him defund our police and firefighters, kick New Yorkers off their health care, and freeze job-creating infrastructure projects.”
The seven Republicans Hochul names are: Reps. Elise Stefanik, Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Andrew Garbarino, Nick Langworthy, Claudia Tenney and Nicole Malliotakis.
Meet the seven New York Republicans who bowed to Donald Trump and let him defund our police and firefighters, kick New Yorkers off their health care, and freeze job-creating infrastructure projects. pic.twitter.com/RXQC9CgZGv
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) October 2, 2025
Hochul said of the seven Republican congressmembers: “They have enough numbers. They have the power. And instead of exercising their power they literally bow down to Trump. Literally taking from the poor to give to the rich.”
In addition to freezing funds for massive New York City transportation projects including the Hudson tunnels and the Second Avenue subway, the Trump administration’s Homeland Security Department also cut, Hochul says, $187 million in counterterrorism funds for New York which includes programs for the New York City police and fire departments, as well as state police, and regional threat response units on Long Island and in Westchester.
Hochul wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, demanding that the decision be reversed and accusing Noem of making “all of America more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.” Hochul warned the Secretary: “Do not play games with this critical security funding.”
Note: Republican Congressman Andrew Garbarino, who represents New York’s 2nd congressional district (on the south shore of Long Island) and leads the House Committee on Homeland Security, did voice his concern about the counterterrorism cuts. Garbarino said in a statement that he was concerned that the cuts “will undermine our capabilities, embolden our enemies and ultimately increase the danger facing our communities.”
But after the government shut down on Wednesday, Garbarino echoed the Trump’s administration blame game and wrote: “House Republicans did our job, passing a clean CR to extend government funding. Democrats are holding your tax dollars hostage for a $1.5 trillion partisan spending hike. Time for Senate Democrats to stop playing politics and do their jobs.”