Commercial real estate reporter Matt Schuerman says that Washington Republicans have forced Chuck Schumer into a bind, forcing him to choose between tax cuts (which, in this case, he opposes) and transportation money (which, in almost any case, he badly wants).
Here’s Schuerman’s take:
With the passage of the so-called “Trifecta” bill in the House early last Saturday — higher minimum wage, but with a series of tax cuts and a lowering of the estate tax — Schumer must now do one of the following: vote against the legislation, and miss the best opportunity so far to advance $2 billion for the JFK Rail Link, which is one of his pet projects and is included as an amendment in the bill, or vote for it and undermine his party’s opposition to the lower estate tax.
A cloture vote is expected Thursday or Friday, and Republicans need five Democrats to defect to even get the bill on the table. But even the most stalwart downtown boosters of the rail link, at least the ones we talked to, are doubting that Schumer will break party ranks. (It seems pretty unlikely to us too, for that matter.)
We’re waiting for a comment from Schumer’s office.
— Josh Benson
