Kevin Kiley

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 52 wordsI will provide an update on the high-speed rail project in California, which was supposed to be complete in 2020, ¹but for which there has not been any track at all laid now in 2026.² We, of course, in the House were successful in passing legislation to cut off further Federal funding.³ Reasoning · 45 wordsThat is important for those of us in California who rely on existing forms of transit, like our roads and regional transit, because now those Federal funds can be used to improve those modalities and improve the quality of life for folks in our State. Claims · 22 wordsNow, California filed a lawsuit after we were successful in cutting off those funds--Governor Newsom did.⁴ That lawsuit has now been dropped.⁵ Reasoning · 44 wordsIt turns out that the compliance review that the State failed was very well documented because, for one thing, the Federal funding that had been given to the State was supposed to be used to buy trains, Unearned certaintyand the State never bought any trains.⁶ Claims · 48 wordsSo there are still no trains, no stations, no track, and no passengers. We have succeeded in redirecting California’s share of Federal transportation funding away from a project that has been deemed nonviable and toward useful projects that will improve traffic, lane capacity, and safety in our State. Procedure · 29 wordsThe other update, though, is a shocking one, or it would be shocking in any other project; but for this project, it is sort of more of the same, ProcedureClaims · 46 wordswhich is that the inspector general for the Rail Authority recently came out with a report showing that the project is going to run out of funds next year.⁷ The inspector general also noted that the Rail Authority has not been transparent in acknowledging that reality. Mr. Speaker, The question · 51 wordsI believe that this is the time, especially with California now going to have a new Governor come in this coming year, several new legislators, to really step back here and ask the question: Should we continue to put billions and billions of more State dollars into this project as well? Reasoning · 67 wordsI believe the answer is no. I believe that there is now an opportunity for our State’s political leadership to come to its senses, to wind this failed project down, to assure that we don’t throw good money after bad, to assure that we don’t spend another $200 billion on a project that The New York Times said is not even going to be done this century.⁸ Claims · 14 wordsCalifornia has so many pressing needs that this is simply we simply cannot afford.