A few Republican senators are openly challenging President Donald Trump for his decision to block billions in federal funds meant for Democratic states, with many believing it’s a purely political move amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Earlier this month, White House budget chief Russ Vought confirmed that critical funding—like $18 billion dedicated to infrastructure in New York City and $2.1 billion for Chicago’s projects—is being withheld. This includes $8 billion for clean energy initiatives across 16 blue states.
This seemingly spiteful strategy has drawn criticism from within the Republican Party. Senators like Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) are expressing their concerns.
Murkowski stressed that Trump’s approach is harming not just Democrats but also Republicans living in those states. In her words, “You show me one blue state where there aren’t significant groups of Republicans, conservatives, MAGA supporters—are we really saying we don’t care about them?” In an interview with The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, she added, “Are we just suggesting, ‘If you aren’t happy, just move to a Republican-led state?’ It doesn’t make sense. Why should we punish people? The government isn’t functioning as it should already.”
She urged against being vengeful just to gain political traction, saying, “Let’s not treat Americans wrongly just to earn political points.”
The ongoing government shutdown has now stretched into its fourth week, caused by disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over health insurance issues that affect millions of Americans. This situation could lead to hundreds of thousands of federal employees being furloughed.
Trump mentioned in a recent Fox News interview that he is “cutting” funding for the Gateway tunnel project, which is set to cost $16 billion and expand train service between New York and New Jersey, in what seems like another effort to compel Democrats to negotiate.
When asked about supporting the removal of projects for political grudges, Moran firmly stated, “No, I’m not for that. It shouldn’t depend on your party affiliation or the political color of your state; it should be about the value of the project, as assessed by Congress and executed by the administration.”
Collins expressed her opposition to this line of thinking but also inferred that Democrats should have been more amenable to resolving the shutdown, implying they blocked a supposedly straightforward funding solution passed by the House.
Capito warned that this strategy of penalizing blue states could backfire on Republicans in the future, referencing President Barack Obama’s efforts to limit coal and fossil fuel production in her state during his presidency.
When pressed on whether it’s right to cut state funding simply due to Democratic leadership, Capito replied, “I don’t believe that’s a good idea… the tables can turn, and I wouldn’t want to set such a precedent.”
