"California's high-speed rail project comes nowhere close to what voters supported with Prop 1A in 2008," said Rep. Denham. "Ridership numbers have decreased, ride times have slowed and estimated costs have skyrocketed. The California High Speed Rail Authority has no viable plan to secure state funds or private money and in the meantime has spent billions in taxpayer dollars. Congress cannot authorize spending any more money on a project without a future."

Rep. Denham introduced the Responsible Rail and Deterring Deficiency Act, or H.R. 3893, in January 2014 with the support of every member of the California Republican delegation. The Responsible Rail and Deterring Deficiency Act would suspend all federal funding to California's high-speed rail project. He also added an amendment to the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) in February 2012 prohibiting highway bill dollars being spent on California high-speed rail.