California Democrats race to secure more funding for high-speed rail

The clock is winding down for President Biden’s time in office, pushing Democratic congressional leaders to make a last-ditch effort to secure more funding for California’s high-speed rail. The California lawmakers sent Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a letter, asking for $536 million to help finish phase one of the project.

It’s an investment the lawmakers said will connect California’s largest populations, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with a journey taking under three hours.

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The coalition includes Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. They are joined by Reps. Pete Aguilar, Jim Costa and Zoe Lofgren. They said the new rail system will boost jobs, safety and transportation accessibility.

“By preparing for future final design and construction of complex tunnels in this corridor, the Project will advance both state and federal goals to improve safety, expand economic strength and global competitiveness, address equity issues, and implement sustainability practices to confront climate change,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Since its approval by California voters in 2008, 119 miles of rail are currently under construction, thanks in part to $6.8 billion from the federal government and another $22 billion from the state itself.

Donald Trump’s incoming administration is critical of the project, saying California has wasted billions of dollars. It’s a similar tune to what the president-elect said during his first term. He said delays and additional costs hampered the progress of the project.

The project is over budget by billions of dollars, and the majority of the line hasn’t been fully designed or constructed.

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Now the co-chairs of the government’s “Efficiency Department,” Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, are ready to end the project. They both agree with Trump on the project’s careless use of federal funds.

Some California Republicans agree, and are ready to pull the plug. One Republican congressman plans to introduce a bill to defund part of the project and cut off access to federal funding.