Russ Vought, Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB), speaks at the National Conservative Convention in Washington D.C., Sept. 3, 2025.
Dominic Gwinn | Afp | Getty Images
The Trump administration has put on hold $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said Friday.
Vought’s announcement on the third day of the U.S. government shutdown comes on the heels of two other moves by the Trump administration targeting funding in cities and states led by Democrats.
President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have blamed Democrats in Congress for the shutdown, and Trump said Thursday that the shutdown had given him an “unprecedented opportunity” to cut what he called “Democrat Agencies.”
Vought on Wednesday first revealed that the Department of Transportation was freezing $18 billion in federal funding for two major infrastructure projects in New York City.
Later that same day, Vought said the Department of Energy had cancelled nearly $8 billion in funding for climate-related projects and other efforts in 16 states, all of which were won by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
On Friday, Vought in a post on X wrote, “$2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects–specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project–have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”
“More info to come soon from @USDOT,” Vought added, referring to the Department of Transportation.
A rider heads toward the stairs to board a Red Line train at the CTA Grand station on Dec. 19, 2023, in Chicago. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Eileen T. Meslar | Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | Getty Images
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