Key Takeaways:
- Merit Over Quotas: The Trump administration paused $2.1 billion in Chicago rail projects to ensure contracts are awarded based on merit and efficiency, not racial or gender preferences.
- Nationwide Accountability: The Department of Transportation expanded reviews to New York’s major transit projects, signaling a broader effort to root out unconstitutional, race-based contracting in federally funded programs.
- Taxpayer Protection First: Officials emphasized that Americans care about results, not identity politics—calling on Democrats to stop blocking government funding so federal agencies can continue critical reviews and deliver infrastructure that works.
The Trump administration is putting a stop to business as usual in Chicago, hitting pause on 2.1 billion dollars in taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects to ensure that contracts are awarded based on merit, not skin color.
“Two point one billion dollars 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,” Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced Friday.
The U.S. Department of Transportation followed with an interim rule banning all race and sex-based contracting from federal grants. That means the Chicago Transit Authority’s prized projects are now under review to ensure compliance with federal law. The message is simple: taxpayer dollars should build bridges and railways, not bankroll discrimination disguised as equity.
DOT officials made it clear that the problem isn’t limited to Illinois. Similar reviews are now underway in New York, where the 2nd Avenue Subway and Hudson Tunnel projects face the same scrutiny. “Illinois, like New York, is well known to promote race- and sex-based contracting and other racial preferences as a public policy,” the department said, adding that Americans “don’t care what race or gender construction workers are. They just want these massive projects finally built quickly and efficiently.”
Once again, President Trump is proving that fiscal responsibility and equal opportunity go hand in hand. No quotas. No political games. Just accountability, efficiency, and a government that puts taxpayers first.