{"id":560997,"date":"2021-06-11T13:51:08","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T17:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=560997"},"modified":"2021-06-11T13:51:21","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T17:51:21","slug":"biden-administration-restores-1-billion-for-californias-train-to-nowhere-after-trump-stripped-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-restores-1-billion-for-californias-train-to-nowhere-after-trump-stripped-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Administration Restores $1 Billion For California\u2019s \u2018Train To Nowhere\u2019 After Trump Stripped Funding"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-administration-restores-1-billion-for-californias-train-to-nowhere-after-trump-stripped-funding%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=560997&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><ul>\n<li><strong>The federal government restored $1 billion in funding for California\u2019s much-criticized bullet train project that critics have dubbed the \u201ctrain to nowhere.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cTonight\u2019s action by the federal government is further proof that California and the Biden-Harris Administration share a common vision \u2014 clean, electrified transportation that will serve generations to come,\u201d Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The Federal Railroad Administration said it would strip the $1 billion in unused funds for the over-budget and behind-schedule project in a scathing 25-page letter sent in May 2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The federal government restored $1 billion in funding for California\u2019s much-criticized bullet train project that critics have dubbed the \u201ctrain to nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Transportation agreed to return the funds, which had previously been stripped by former President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, for the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2019\/02\/14\/california-high-speed-train-energy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">California High-Speed Rail Project<\/a> on Thursday evening, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/2021\/06\/10\/governor-newsom-statement-on-federal-funding-agreement-for-california-high-speed-rail-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced<\/a>. The 119-mile project has a total of 35 construction sites in California\u2019s Central Valley and averages 1,100 workers per day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTonight\u2019s action by the federal government is further proof that California and the Biden-Harris Administration share a common vision \u2014 clean, electrified transportation that will serve generations to come,\u201d Newsom said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRestoring nearly $929 million in grant funding back to California\u2019s High-Speed Rail project will continue to spur job creation, advance the project and move the state one step closer to getting trains running in California as soon as possible,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe thank the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary [Pete] Buttigieg for their partnership on this important step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Transportation Secretary Buttigieg had been noncommittal when asked about whether the government would help fund the project during an April <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/press-briefings\/2021\/04\/09\/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-and-secretary-of-transportation-pete-buttigieg-april-9-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">news conference<\/a>. He responded, saying \u201ccommunities of different types\u201d would benefit from high-speed rail. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2019\/02\/19\/trump-wall-high-speed-rail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Trump Slams High-Speed Rail: \u2018Hundreds Of Times More Expensive\u2019 Than A Wall)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7212338\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"35\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7212338\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7212338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"A constuction site is seen on the California High Speed-Railway in Fresno, California on May 5, 2019. (Frederic J. Brown\/AFP via Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-203x120.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-620x366-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-768x453-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-1536x906-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-2048x1208-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7212338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A construction site is seen on the California High Speed-Railway in Fresno, California on May 5, 2019. (Frederic J. Brown\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2009\/10\/02\/schwarzenegger-seeks-4-7-billion-in-stimulus-money-for-high-speed-rail-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">introduced<\/a> the plan for the high-speed rail system and his successor Gov. Jerry Brown continued the project. In 2010, the federal government <a href=\"https:\/\/railroads.dot.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/statement-federal-railroad-administration-termination-fy-10-grant-agreement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agreed<\/a> to give California $3.5 billion for proposed railway.<\/p>\n<p>But, Newsom scaled the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2016\/07\/24\/how-union-deals-have-derailed-the-california-high-speed-railway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">project<\/a> back significantly after taking office in 2019. The over-budget, behind-schedule project would now travel from Merced to Fresno to Bakersfield \u2014 the 5th, 9th and 102nd <a href=\"https:\/\/www.california-demographics.com\/cities_by_population\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">largest cities in the state<\/a> \u2014 Newsom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/2019\/02\/12\/state-of-the-state-address\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s be real. The project, as currently planned, would cost too much and take too long. There\u2019s been too little oversight and not enough transparency,\u201d Newsom said during his first State of the State Address in February 2019. \u201cRight now, there simply isn\u2019t a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A. I wish there were.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response, the Trump administration attempted to take its $3.5 billion in funds back, but could only obtain the nearly $1 billion that had not been spent. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said it would strip the unused funds from the State of California in a <a href=\"https:\/\/railroads.dot.gov\/sites\/fra.dot.gov\/files\/fra_net\/18618\/CHSRA%20-%20FY%2010%20Agreement%20-%20Final%20Decision%20-%20Signed%20-%205-16-2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scathing 25-page letter<\/a> sent in May 2019. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2019\/02\/13\/california-speed-rail-newsom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Newsom Attempts To Clarify Incoherent Comments On High-Speed Rail Project)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7212337\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"34\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7212337\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7212337\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger chats during an inspection of a high-speed train on Sept. 14, 2010. (Shuji Kajiyama\/AFP via Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-172x120.jpg 172w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-620x433-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-768x536-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-1536x1073-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-104071131-2048x1430-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7212337\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger chats during an inspection of a high-speed train on Sept. 14, 2010. (Shuji Kajiyama\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt is now clear that California has no foreseeable plans, nor the capability, to pursue that statewide [High-Speed Rail] System as originally proposed,\u201d former FRA Administrator Ronald Batory wrote in the letter. \u201c[California] is chronically behind in Project construction activities and has not been able to correct or mitigate its deficiencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOverall, such critical failures completely undermine FRA\u2019s confidence in CHSRA\u2019 s ability to manage the Project effectively,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<p>Due to its numerous failures, <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2013\/04\/10\/all-aboard-californias-high-speed-train-to-nowhere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">critics<\/a> have called the project the \u201cboondoggle bullet train to nowhere,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/la-pol-sac-skelton-tunnels-trains-brown-20180122-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to the Los Angeles Times.<\/p>\n<p>If completed, the project would become the nation\u2019s first high-speed rail system, according to Newsom.<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The federal government restored $1 billion in funding for California\u2019s much-criticized bullet train project that critics have dubbed the \u201ctrain to nowhere.\u201d \u201cTonight\u2019s action by the federal government is further &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2280040,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Biden Administration Restores $1 Billion For California\u2019s \u2018Train To Nowhere\u2019 After Trump Stripped Funding","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1141826884-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Biden Administration Restores $1 Billion For California\u2019s \u2018Train To Nowhere\u2019 After Trump Stripped Funding","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=560997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2280040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=560997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=560997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=560997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}