New York’s House Republicans have had it with Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul’s ridiculous plan to charge New Yorkers up to $15 for driving into lower Manhattan. They’re begging President-elect Donald Trump to put an end to this cash-grab scheme the moment he takes office in January. With Hochul now hinting at a smaller $9 toll post-election, Rep. Mike Lawler, backed by fellow New York Republicans Nicole Malliotakis and Andrew Garbarino, sent Trump a letter calling for the complete shutdown of congestion pricing.
“Now that her efforts have failed, she is planning to fast track this cash grab,” the GOP letter declared, accusing Hochul of “overreach in every aspect of government.” They’re not wrong. Hochul’s push for “congestion pricing” is nothing but another way to tax New Yorkers under the guise of “curbing traffic and pollution.” The GOP letter summed it up perfectly: this scheme will crush middle-class families and commuters, especially those from low-income neighborhoods who can least afford it.
Of course, New Yorkers knew Hochul’s original “pause” on the toll was just political theater. She paused it long enough to avoid a backlash before the election, then started backpedaling the moment ballots were counted. Hochul claims New Yorkers should be “happy” she’s only considering a $9 toll, but that’s a joke. In her words, “I will let you take that and remind the voters that there’s one person who stood up and said, ‘no, it’s too much.’” Nice try, Governor. No one’s buying it.
The GOP reps also pointed to the Biden Administration’s cozy partnership with Hochul on this, noting how the Federal Highway Administration sped up the environmental review process to ram through congestion pricing. Now, they’re counting on Trump to reverse that shady maneuver. Trump himself promised in May to “TERMINATE Congestion Pricing in my FIRST WEEK back in Office!!”
The MTA cries poverty while hemorrhaging money in fare evasions and racking up billions in cost overruns, yet somehow thinks congestion pricing is the answer. “Enforce your fares!” Rep. Lawler said at an anti-toll rally, summing up the simple solution that New York’s bureaucrats are too incompetent—or unwilling—to implement.
New York Democrats tried to defend the congestion toll on Staten Island, but even Democratic lawmakers are publicly slamming the scheme as a post-election “scam.” Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Malliotakis said Trump is committed to blocking this toll, which he rightly sees as harmful to the city’s economy and working-class New Yorkers.
If there’s one thing the Democrats don’t get, it’s that endless taxation and overreach don’t work. Come January, with Trump back in office, New Yorkers can finally look forward to leaders who’ll stand up to these schemes. The congestion pricing plan, the latest tax to hit the wallets of hardworking Americans, should be canceled permanently, and it looks like Trump will be the one to make it happen.
