Washington, D.C. — February 6, 2026 — North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement:

“Today’s shutdown of the Gateway Project is a reckless and profound failure of responsibility by the federal government. Stopping work on this nationally critical $16 billion mega project endangers the economic stability of the Northeast Corridor, the livelihoods of thousands of skilled building trades members and their families and directly undermines President Trump’s stated goal of modernizing the infrastructure that keeps America competitive, secure, and moving.

“President Trump has rightly emphasized the need to rebuild and strengthen America’s transportation systems, reinforce core infrastructure, put America first, create good American jobs, and protect domestic economic and national security. The Gateway Project directly advances all of those stated priorities. Yet the U.S. Department of Transportation’s refusal to release already-approved federal funds needed to continue construction has brought this project to a halt. An essential rebuild of a century-old tunnel damaged by Superstorm Sandy now remains vulnerable, placing jobs, public safety, and national infrastructure at risk.

“This funding uncertainty affects more than just our members. Manufacturers, suppliers, investors, and scores of small businesses will also be impacted, as this uncertainty disrupts current and future development related to the Gateway Project. To the thousands of building trades members and stakeholders now facing uncertainty, we stand with you. To the governors and the Gateway Development Commission working to restore funding, we have your back. And to those with the authority to release these critical infrastructure dollars: enough is enough. America’s need for critical infrastructure upgrades should not fall victim to politics.

“There have been public reports that a dispute over naming rights has delayed the release of funding for this project. NABTU wants to be clear: we view this critical infrastructure as America’s Tunnel, and we are simply America’s workforce, ready to do our part. The men and women of the building trades do not care what this project is called or ultimately named. What matters to us is the opportunity to do what we do best: build this project safely, on time, and in service of the people, commerce, and national interests it was designed to advance. NABTU will continue fighting relentlessly until this funding is restored, our members return to the job site, and this vital project moves forward once again, as it should have all along.”

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