New York Rep. Pete King Peter (Pete) KingTrump holds private funeral service for brother Robert Trump at White House Cheney clashes with Trump Coronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney MORE (R) said he spoke “extensively” with President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE about the New York metro region’s multibillion-dollar Gateway rail project during Thursday’s St. Patrick’s Day lunch.

“I told him the importance of Gateway,” King told The Hill of the discussion with the president, which he said lasted about five minutes.

King hesitated to provide additional details of his conversation with Trump, which comes after a group of New York and New Jersey lawmakers met with Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) on Wednesday to emphasize the project’s significance.

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When pressed about Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao Elaine Lan ChaoChick-fil-A drops fight for San Antonio airport location Overnight Defense: US marks 19th anniversary of 9/11 attacks | Trump awards Medal of Honor to Army Ranger for hostage rescue mission | Bahrain, Israel normalizing diplomatic ties Trump marks 9/11 with moment of silence on Air Force One, remarks in PA MORE’s opposition to an Obama-era funding arrangement for the project, King said he didn’t “want to say anything today that could undercut [things].”

The New York lawmaker said it would not be “productive” to speak more of his discussion with Trump over the rail project, which is aimed at rebuilding passenger rail connection under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey.

The program has been a sticking point in ongoing conversations about the impending omnibus spending bill lawmakers must pass ahead of a March 23 deadline.

The White House last week threatened to veto the omnibus if it includes $900 million in funding for the project, while the Department of Transportation has said it opposes financing Gateway in the spending bill.

“All I can say right now is that I’m not going to say anything more,” King said when asked if he thinks Trump’s opposition to the funding is a form of political retribution for lawmakers who voted against last year’s GOP tax cuts and attempt to repeal ObamaCare. “If you had called me yesterday, I would have said that’s a possibility.”

The congressman’s silence on his lunch conversation comes after King told Politico on Wednesday that the Speaker described Trump’s resistance to funding Gateway during the meeting with lawmakers from the New York and New Jersey delegation.

King also said Thursday that he won’t vote for the omnibus if the Gateway dollars are stripped.