Manhattan Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler are feuding over who deserves credit score for delivering the primary leg of the 2nd Avenue subway line that opened in 2017 and runs via the Higher East Aspect.
Maloney and Nadler, former allies, are pitted in opposition to one another in a Democratic major race after their congressional districts had been mixed.
Maloney, 76, who has represented the East Aspect for many years, is most related to advocating for the $4.Four billion subway line — a century within the making — that stretches from 63rd Avenue to 96th Avenue, with stops at 72nd, 86th and 96th streets.
A deliberate $6.9 billion extension would add stops at 106th Avenue, 116th Avenue and 125th Avenue, supported by Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Biden. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo took the primary inaugural experience on the road.
Court docket-ordered reapportionment merged the East Aspect and West sides of Manhattan into one 12th Congressional District, triggering a major between East Aspect gal Maloney in opposition to West Aspect man Nadler.
At a latest discussion board with senior residents on the Higher East Aspect, Nadler, 75, who famous he’s served on the Home Transportation Committee for years, instructed his new constituents that he helped ship funds for the subway line as a long-serving member of the Home Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“What you might not find out about is my function within the 2nd Avenue subway,” Nadler stated in the course of the dialogue at Inspir Carnegie Hill, based on a videotape of it offered to The Publish.
“Again in 2005 when Carolyn got here to me as a member of the Transportation Committee as I used to be and requested me to get funds for the 2nd Avenue subway, I did it. In 2005 and once more in 2010 and once more in 2015 and once more in 2020.”
The funding for the capital initiatives, he stated, is available in five-year intervals.
However Maloney accused Nadler of stealing credit score for a mission he had “nothing” to do with.
“Nadler’s claiming credit score for that? He did nothing. Nothing,” Maloney instructed The Publish throughout a short interview. “Right here’s a person claiming credit score for a lady’s work.”
Maloney’s marketing campaign spokesman Bob Liff later additionally issued an in depth assertion disputing Nadler’s subway funding declare.
“Jerry Nadler had no vital function within the planning or funding of the Second Avenue subway, which Carolyn shepherded to completion after 100 years of speaking and no motion. He was not on the floor breaking, he was not on the ribbon chopping, and when he was requested to signal onto a letter supporting the mission, he declined as a result of he wished funding for his rail freight tunnel, which has but to be constructed,” Liff stated.
“He isn’t the primary man to try to take credit score for the work of ladies in management, however there’s a motive Maloney has been ranked within the prime three simplest members of Congress, whereas he’s ranked considerably decrease. As soon as once more, he is aware of higher than that. The phrase chutzpah involves thoughts,” the Maloney spokesman stated.
Throughout a separate dialogue with the identical group, Maloney stated, “I fought for the 2nd Avenue subway … I’m happy with having constructed the 2nd Avenue subway.”
Nadler’s camp insisted on Thursday that he performed an integral half within the course of.
”Any suggestion that Jerry Nadler didn’t play a number one function in delivering the 2nd Avenue Subway is as foolish as it’s demonstrably false. It doesn’t take greater than a cursory Google search to disclose that as a senior Member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Jerry secured thousands and thousands in funding for the 2nd Avenue Subway,” stated Nadler co-campaign chairman Julian Gerson.
“Jerry spent a long time preventing for the 2nd Avenue Subway and standing up for 9/11 first responders and survivors–telling New Yorkers in any other case is each baffling and essentially unfaithful.”
One transit advocate stated there’s sufficient credit score to go round for constructing the primary part of the $4.Four billion subway line.
Whereas Maloney is most intently related to the subway line as a result of it’s been in her district, different members of the New York congressional delegation together with Nadler had advocated for it as nicely, stated John Kaehny, government director of Reinvent Albany, who beforehand labored for Transportation Options.
“They most likely all helped with it. It’s an enormous mission. It takes a village,” Kaehny stated.
“Maloney and Nadler most likely labored collectively on it earlier than they turned enemies. They had been mates,” he stated.
Lawyer Suraj Patel is the third candidate within the race.
