WASHINGTON (AP) — White House budget director Russ Vought said Wednesday that he was putting a hold on roughly $18 billion to fund New York City’s Hudson Tunnel and Second Avenue subway projects as Transportation Department workers tied to the projects have been furloughed as part of the government shutdown.

Vought posted on X that the hold was being put in place out of the administration’s belief that the money was “based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion.

But an administration official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on anonymity to discuss the hold, said the government shutdown that started at midnight meant that the department employees responsible for reimbursing workers on the projects had been furloughed, so the money was being withheld.

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