New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul's congestion pricing — ostensibly a tax on the working class commuters to fund spending in the state — has its vocal opponents even from the left.
"I remain opposed to New York's decision to implement their congestion pricing tax — which will fund the MTA on the backs of New Jersey commuters without any real investments in NJ TRANSIT or study of how the policy will impact New Jersey families," Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a potential gubernatorial candidate, wrote in a statement Saturday. "This new tax will raise costs for New Jerseyans, while also worsening traffic and increasing pollution in New Jersey as commuters go out of their way to seek more affordable routes into New York.
"I refuse to sit back as New York uses New Jersey's workforce as a meal ticket for the MTA — and I will continue to fight to move businesses to the Garden State, to expand office sharing sites, and to make it easier for New Jerseyans to work remotely."
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a potential New York gubernatorial opponent versus Hochul, blasted the tax on working families.
"@GovKathyHochul's congestion pricing scheme is nothing more than a massive new tax on working families," he wrote on X, linking to a 2-minute video discussing the issue. "She thinks YOU should bail out the MTA for their crappy budgeting.
"Visit http://congestionpricingsucks.com and let Hochul know you're against her congestion pricing cash grab!"
His video defends the tax on his constituents in New York.
"I don't care what anybody says: Charging folks a commuter tax on top of high tolls and gasoline prices is absolutely idiotic," Lawler says in the campaign video. "I've been fighting to kill congestion pricing for years, because it's nothing more than a scam. It's a cash grab.
"The MTA has been severely mismanaged for decades. It's outrageous that the MTA wants to charge suburban commuters just to come into New York City on top of the tolls to pay for their bloated operations; yet, they refuse to collect $700 million a year from those who jump the turnstile and refuse to pay to ride the subway."
Lawler vows to work with Democrats in Congress to stop the congestion pricing that went into effect Sunday in New York City.
"There's a general agreement it's a terrible plan," former state Supreme Court justice and New York City Councilmember Kathryn Freed, who's part of a class-action lawsuit filed by Manhattan residents, told Politico. "It's not going to reduce congestion. It's not going to reduce pollution."
Hochul, who will face a challenging reelection campaign in 2026 had already paused the program in June, fearing it would impact Democrat votes in November, according to Politico. With that election in the rearview, she is pushing forward with it now.
"It could definitely hurt the governor and some congressional candidates and state legislative candidates," Queens Democrat Assemblymember David Weprin, who is suing the state with the New York City teachers' union, told Politico. "It's going to have a negative impact in two years if it's still in effect and not stopped."
Congestion pricing has survived several lawsuits seeking to block the program, including a last-ditch effort from the state of New Jersey to have a judge put up a temporary roadblock against it.
A spokesperson for New Jersey Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, Natalie Hamilton, wrote in an email Saturday, that they would "continue fighting against this unfair and unpopular scheme."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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