Congressman Fong Applauds Federal Railroad Administration for Report Exposing No Viable Path Forward for California’s High-Speed Rail Boondoggle

WASHINGTON, DC. – Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) is applauding the Federal Railroad Administration for releasing today’s report exposing no viable path forward for California’s High-Speed Rail boondoggle. Please see his statement below:

“The California High-Speed Rail project has become one of the most glaring examples of government waste in our state’s history,” said Congressman Fong. “This failed project has spiraled into a chronically mismanaged and over-budget endeavor – costing taxpayers billions with little to show for it. 

“I applaud the Federal Railroad Administration for releasing today’s Compliance Review Report that finds the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s project is in default of the terms of its federal grant awards – likely leading to the termination of both their Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement and the FY10 Financial Assistance Cooperative Agreement. This report confirms what we’ve known all along: continually missed deadlines, massive budget overruns, and wildly inflated ridership projections. 

“This report exposes the drastic failure of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority and sends a clear and necessary message: the federal government will no longer bankroll broken promises and failed leadership. The federal government is stepping up to protect California taxpayers and reinforce the values of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. It’s time to move past costly pipe dreams and focus on real, achievable infrastructure solutions that truly serve the needs of our communities.”