Following New York Governor Cathy Hokule’s surprise announcement that she would begin collecting a congestion tax in Manhattan starting in January of next year, it has been reported that the federal Congress has begun reviewing a plan to repeal the congestion tax through legislation.
Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY, 17th District) of Hurst Valley and a coalition of Republican lawmakers recently sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump demanding that he withdraw the federal government’s approval of the congestion tax.
Lawler stated in the letter that “if President Trump fails to repeal the congestion tax by executive order after taking office, the federal Congress will take action to repeal the congestion tax.” Lawler believes that since the Republican Party secured a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the last election, there is no reason for the Republican Party not to legislate to repeal the Manhattan congestion tax.“ Republicans will use every tool at their disposal, including executive orders from the president and legislation in Congress, to repeal the Manhattan congestion charge,” Lawler added.
President-elect Trump, who pledged to abolish the congestion tax during the presidential election, once again expressed his opposition in an interview with the New York Post on the 14th, saying, “The Manhattan congestion tax is the most regressive tax.”
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to process the congestion tax amendment proposed by Governor Hokule at the board meeting on the 18th and then request federal approval. Since President-elect Trump, who has pledged to abolish the congestion tax, has not yet taken office, federal approval is expected to be easy.
However, after taking office on January 20, President Trump, and the Republican Party, which has secured majority power, are expected to begin a full-scale movement to abolish the congestion tax, which is expected to lead to an immediate suspension of federal funding.