(The following article by Raymond Hernandez was posted on the New York Times website on November 16.)
WASHINGTON — The Senate is set to approve a measure that would allow New York officials to use $2 billion in unused Sept. 11 aid to build a rail link connecting the World Trade Center site to the Long Island Rail Road and Kennedy International Airport, Congressional officials said on Wednesday.
It is the first significant effort by Congress to fulfill a request that New York officials made last year to finance the rail link project with unused parts of a $5 billion tax-incentive package. Washington had approved the package shortly after the terror attack to encourage the construction of office towers, residential buildings and retail shops in Lower Manhattan.
The fate of the rail link project is still uncertain in the House, where conservatives, who are increasingly alarmed about the growing federal deficit, have been averse to redirecting the remaining 9/11 dollars to the rail link project.
A senior Republican aide said last night that it was too early to determine how the House would respond.
Nevertheless, city and state officials said they were encouraged by the developments in the Senate and immediately called on Republican leaders in the House to follow suit, saying that the rail link was a vital part of efforts to rebuild Lower Manhattan.
In a statement, Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican, urged the House “to act in concert with the Senate and help secure this important funding,” arguing that the rail link would help restore “tens of thousands of jobs” lost as a result of the attacks.
Daniel L. Doctoroff, the deputy mayor for economic development, said that getting the money from Washington would ensure that “the federal government keeps its promise to New York to help in the rebuilding after Sept. 11.”