WASHINGTON -- Members of New Jersey's congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump Tuesday to support the Gateway Tunnel project despite his budget proposal to cut off a key source of funding.

A letter from a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao asked her to support using the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Program, or "New Starts" for Gateway.

Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) and Tom MacArthur (R-3rd Dist.) were the only two New Jersey federal lawmakers who did not sign the letter. Both lawmakers support Gateway funding, according to their press secretaries.

Trump's spending plan for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1 would limit funding to those projects with contracts in place. That would exclude Gateway, which is not at that stage.

"Gateway is absolutely necessary for the region's core, its absolutely necessary for the Northeast Corridor, it's absolutely necessary for the nation," said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking subcommittee that oversees mass transit. "I am seriously worried at least as the president's budget is devised now."

The $20 billion Gateway project would rebuild the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River and construct two new tubes under the Hudson River for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains so that the existing tunnels could be closed to repair damage from Hurricane Sandy.

"It is essential that we advance projects like the Hudson River tunnels and the Portal Bridge north through the pipeline in an expeditious manner, and avoid unnecessary delays and red tape for some of the most important infrastructure projects in the nation," read the Menendez-led letter signed by12 of the state's 14 federal lawmakers, nine Democrats and three Republicans.

One of those who didn't sign, Frelinghuysen, is in a key position to ensure that the money is available as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, which writes the spending bills funding the federal government, including transportation projects.

Spokesman Steve Wilson said Frelinghuysen helped secure funding for Gateway in the $1.2 trlllion spending bill for this fiscal year that was enacted last month and "certainly will have ample opportunity, and soon, to convey personally his support for the Gateway rail tunnel project directly to Secretary Chao."

MacArthur spokeswoman Camille Gallo said the lawmaker "fully supports the Gateway Project and will be communicating this to Appropriations Chairman Frelinghuysen, along with a host of other budget priorities."

Before Trump was elected, the federal government had agreed to pay half the cost of the project. Despite the budget request, Chao told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee earlier this month that Gateway was "an absolute priority."

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.