Team of 13 California U.S. Representatives look to block HSR funding in 2015 spending bill

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

Thirteen U.S. Representatives sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers and Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey on December 3 requesting that end-of-year appropriations measures include provisions to prohibit federal spending on California high-speed rail (CAHSR).

 

The letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Jeff Denham (CA-10), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Devin Nunes (CA-22), Paul Cook (CA-08), Ed Royce (CA-39), John Campbell (CA-45), Darrell Issa (CA-49), Duncan Hunter (CA-52), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48), Buck McKeon (CA-25), Gary Miller (CA-31), Ken Calvert (CA-42) and Tom McClintock (CA-04).

The letter notes that CAHSR costs have ballooned “from $33 billion to more than $100 billion before the scope was trimmed to bring the current figure to $68 billion. Additionally, California High Speed Rail Authority has continually failed to keep the project off Ag land or to provide a viable business plan detailing where the money for the project will come from, instead assuming that federal tax payers will foot the bill.”

The letter asks the appropriations committee to include in an end-of-the-year funding vehicle, the Denham Amendment, to H.R. 4745, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015. The amendment prohibits use of federal funds within the bill for high-speed rail in the state of California or for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The Denham amendment was included in the 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill, which was approved in June.

“As you work to craft a year end Omnibus Appropriations measure to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, we request that you retain language to prohibit the use of federal funds within the bill for high-speed rail in the state of California or for the California High-Speed Rail Authority,” the letter noted.

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