On Thursday, President Trump had a private meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York to talk about several pressing issues, including funding for the Gateway tunnel project, healthcare, and immigration policy.
This rare afternoon discussion was kept under wraps and only became known to the public after the fact.
According to a statement from Schumer’s office, “President Trump has requested a meeting with Leader Schumer at the White House to discuss the President’s reservations about the New York-New Jersey Gateway Tunnel project.”
Back in October, President Trump had halted around $18 billion in funding for the Gateway Tunnel and Second Avenue subway projects, coinciding with the onset of a government shutdown initiated by Schumer and the Democrats. The Democrats had previously delayed government funding for 43 days to advocate for extended Obamacare subsidies for the middle class.
During their meeting, Schumer urged the immediate release of funds already allocated for the Gateway Project. He referred to it as a crucial infrastructure project that could create thousands of jobs and significantly benefit the economies of New York and the entire Northeast.
In addition, Schumer brought up the necessity of convincing Senate Republicans to back a three-year extension of the ACA tax credit bill that had already passed in the House.
On another note, President Trump also presented a new legislative health care plan focusing on putting federal assistance into health savings accounts instead of insurance premiums. This shift comes after pandemic-era subsidies, which expired in December, benefited around 20 million middle-class policyholders.
Schumer also expressed concerns to Trump regarding ICE raids, describing them as a source of fear in communities. He emphasized that ICE should be kept out of American cities to avoid putting more people at risk.
The White House has yet to issue a comment on this meeting.
