MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell stated the tunnel underneath building that may ultimately present extra rail hyperlinks between Manhattan and New Jersey must be named the “Biden Tunnel” — claiming that President-elect Donald Trump “goes to take credit score for” it.
O’Donnell, who made the remarks throughout an interview with outgoing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on his “Final Phrase” prime time present on Tuesday, praised the Gateway Program as “probably the most advanced infrastructure mission funded by Joe Biden.”
“It must be known as the Biden Tunnel,” O’Donnell stated on Tuesday.
His feedback have been reported by the information website Mediaite.
The MSNBC opinion host famous that funding for the Gateway Program, which has a complete estimated price of $16.1 billion, was made attainable by Biden’s infrastructure invoice which was signed into legislation in 2021.
“It’s the most advanced infrastructure mission funded by Joe Biden,” O’Donnell stated, including that it “will present a 3rd tunnel throughout the Hudson River between New York Metropolis and New Jersey, probably the most necessary interstate hyperlinks within the nation.”
The mission will embody a brand new double-track tunnel between the Bergen Palisades in New Jersey and Manhattan in addition to the rehabilitation of the North River Tunnel that was broken by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The federal authorities has additionally allotted funds for concrete casing to be put in in Hudson Yards that might permit the brand new tunnel to be related to Penn Station in Manhattan.
O’Donnell famous that “there has not been one extra lane added” to the Hudson River crossings that hyperlink New York Metropolis to New Jersey, together with the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels in addition to the George Washington Bridge — this regardless of the rise in vehicular visitors within the final 50 years.
The MSNBC host ran down a listing of New York politicians who sought to get a brand new tunnel constructed, together with the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan in addition to a number of governors and mayors.
“Then got here Joe Biden,” O’Donnell stated. “For the subsequent 100 years, individuals shall be driving by way of that tunnel and they’ll don’t know who did that.”
O’Donnell then predicted that Trump “goes to take credit score for that tunnel.”
Buttigieg agreed, saying: “Completely.”
“I imply, look, we’ve created a pipeline of excellent initiatives which might be going to play out over the subsequent few years,” Buttigieg stated.
“Once I known as the initiatives just like the Hudson River tunnel the Cathedrals of our infrastructure, I didn’t say that simply because it’s a poetic phrase for one thing large.”
The Put up has sought remark from the Trump transition crew and the White Home.
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