Nassau Pols React To Trump Administration Reversing Congestion Pricing

LONG ISLAND, NY — The Trump administration rescinded Gov. Hochul's congestion pricing project on Wednesday. Drivers had been forced to pay $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street.

"This is an oppressive tax. It's a burden on the taxpayers," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told CBS2. "It's a burden on the students. It's a burden on people who work in that area. It was the right thing to do to terminate it."

President Trump's Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in a letter to Hochul said, in part, "New York State's congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners."

While much of the reaction is split along party lines, it was not the case with Democratic Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04), who said:

"I'm glad that the Administration put a stop to the harmful and misguided congestion pricing policy so that Long Islanders get the relief they deserve."

However, the MTA has already filed a response in federal court in opposition to the DOT, ABC7 said.

"It's mystifying that after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review - and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program - USDOT would seek to totally reverse course," MTA Chairman and CEO Janna Lieber said.