Russ Vought, director of the United States Management and Budget Office (WBO), speaks at the Conservative National Convention at Washington DC, on September 3, 2025.
Dominic Gwinn | AFP | Getty images
The Trump Administration has put $ 2.1 billion on waiting for Chicago infrastructure projects, mainly two efforts to improve the city’s traffic system, said the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought.
The announcement of Vought on the third day of the closing of the United States government occurs immediately after two other movements by the Trump administration aimed at funds in cities and states led by Democrats.
President Donald Trump and republican legislators have blamed the Democrats in Congress for the closure, and Trump said Thursday that the closing had given him an “unprecedented opportunity” to reduce what he called “Democratic agencies.”
Vought on Wednesday revealed for the first time that the Department of Transportation was freezing $ 18 billion in federal funds for two large infrastructure projects in New York City. Like the Chicago, Vought and DOT funds funds, they affirm that the reason for freezing in New York funds is to ensure that money is not being used to pay hiring based on the breed.
Later that same day, Voucht said that the Department of Energy had canceled almost $ 8 billion in funds for project -related projects and other efforts in 16 states, all of which were won by the Nominated Democratic presidential Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections.
On Friday, Vought in a publication about X wrote: “$ 2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects, specifically, the extension of the red line and the red and purple modernization project, have been suspended to ensure that financing does not flow through the contract based on the breed.”
“More information that will come from @usdot,” Voucht added, referring to the Department of Transportation.
A rider is heading towards the stairs to board a red line train in the CTA Grand Station on December 19, 2023 in Chicago. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service through Getty Images)
Eileen T. Messlar | Chicago Tribune | Tribune news service | Getty images
Both projects mentioned by Vought are supervised by the Chicago Transit Authority, which operates the city trains and bus system.
The red line extension project will spread that train line in 5.5 miles with four new stations among the existing terminal in 95th/Dan Ryan at 130th Street. The red and purple modernization project is reconstructing the infrastructure along those color train lines.
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“To continue the implementation of this rule, the USDOT today sent letters to the Chicago Traffic Authority (CTA) to inform them that two projects, the extension of the red line of CTA and the Red and Purple Modernization Program of CTA, are also under an administrative review to determine if unconstitutional practices occur,” said the DOT. “The remaining federal funds for both projects total $ 2.1 billion.”
“This adds to the reviews of the projects of Second Avenue Subway and Hudson Tunnel in New York,” the department said. “Illinois, like New York, is well known to promote the hiring of race and sex and other racial preferences such as a public policy.”
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