President Trump will meet Wednesday with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) at the White House to discuss the Gateway Project, which would rebuild passenger rail lines between New York City and Newark, N.J.
The meeting appeared on Trump’s public schedule for Wednesday, and Cuomo confirmed in a statement that he planned to discuss the issue with the president. The governor said the rail infrastructure requires renovation, or it will pose significant problems for New York and New Jersey.
{mosads}”I recently sent a video of the tunnels that fully explains the situation to President Trump,” Cuomo said. “The video shows the decay inside the tunnel. I spoke to the President after he received the video and we have a tentative meeting scheduled for tomorrow with the President to continue to discuss the tunnel project.
“This is not a partisan issue but a practical government necessity,” he added.
Funding for the Gateway Project has been a priority for New York and New Jersey lawmakers in recent years.
The Trump administration stonewalled an effort to include money for the project in an omnibus spending bill earlier this year, but clarified it did not oppose the project itself.
Cuomo and Trump have routinely traded barbs throughout the latter’s presidency.
The governor blamed the president for “fanning the flames of racism,” and his been critical of numerous policy measures, such as the GOP tax-cut bill.
Trump targeted Cuomo after the governor stumbled over an attempted jab at Trump by saying America “was never that great.”
“His political career is over!” Trump fired back.
Cuomo said Tuesday he was ruling out a run for the White House in 2020. He was reelected to a third term in the governor’s mansion earlier this month.