[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 184 (Tuesday, November 7, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5472-H5473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CALIFORNIA'S HIGH-SPEED RAIL IS BIGGEST BOONDOGGLE IN U.S.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Kiley) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I will be voting for the 
transportation appropriations bill, and one of the reasons why is that 
it provides exactly the right amount of funding for California's high-
speed rail, which is zero dollars.
  Zero dollars are appropriated for high-speed rail in this bill, and 
it is well past time that we stop throwing good money after bad.
  High-speed rail was an idea in the early 2000s in California that 
might have initially had some promise, but because of sheer political 
dysfunction, it has become perhaps the biggest boondoggle in United 
States history.
  The price tag is now pegged at $128 billion, and a decade and a half 
after it was approved, there is still absolutely nothing to show for 
it. When you look at the press releases that come out from the high-
speed rail authority, it is almost beyond belief what now counts as 
success.
  This press release is from just 5 days ago: ``California High-Speed 
Rail Authority Moves Closer to Designing Tracks and Systems.''
  This is a decade and a half after the project was conceived. 
According to The New York Times, at the current

[[Page H5473]]

pace, the high-speed rail project will not be completed in this 
century.
  Last year, an investigation by The Times produced a story headlined: 
``How California's Bullet Train Went Off the Rails.'' The Times 
explained that the tortured effort to build the country's first high-
speed rail system is a case study in how ambitious public works 
projects can become perilously encumbered by unrealistic cost 
estimates, flawed engineering, and a determination to persist on 
projects that have become too big to fail.
  The Times reported how one of the early operators that actually knows 
how to build high-speed rail systems, SNCF, became so frustrated after 
their ideas and plans were repeatedly discarded that they pulled out in 
2011 and decided to go to North Africa, where it was less politically 
dysfunctional. Indeed, they then helped Morocco bring a high-speed rail 
system online in 2018.
  All the while, the condition of California's roads continues to 
deteriorate and are among the very worst in the country. They are 
unsafe. They cause needless wear and tear on vehicles. They cause 
Californians to be stuck in traffic for hours on end.
  This is an area where my particular district has unique needs. The 
Third Congressional District is one of the few parts of California that 
is still growing. Cities like Roseville, Folsom, and Lincoln are 
growing as fast as anywhere. People want to come to our communities 
because of the high quality of life. We have eluded the downward spiral 
that has afflicted many other parts of California because we support 
small businesses, law enforcement, and public safety. We have local 
governments that are accountable to taxpayers.
  Precisely because of this success, many people want to move into our 
communities, and it is creating major challenges when it comes to 
traffic. Because of that, I have made it a top priority to look for 
every possible opportunity to stop spending Federal dollars on wasteful 
projects like the high-speed rail boondoggle and instead direct those 
funds to needed local road projects that will alleviate traffic for my 
constituents.
  I was very glad to participate earlier this year in the 
groundbreaking for the I-80 fifth lane project, which is going to 
improve travel times westbound on I-80 between Douglas Boulevard and 
Riverside Avenue.
  In the Transportation appropriations bill, which will be voted on by 
the House today, I have secured funding for three important projects in 
our district.
  The first is the U.S. 50/Empire Ranch Road Interchange Project, which 
would reduce traffic congestion and improve safety on adjacent 
interchanges, ultimately enhancing local and regional circulation and 
transportation infrastructure in Folsom and surrounding areas.
  The second is the Blue Oaks Boulevard Roadway and Bridge Widening 
Project, which is going to alleviate a critical transportation 
bottleneck.
  The third is the Folsom Lake Crossing safety improvement phase two 
project, which would enhance road safety on Folsom Lake Crossing by 
adding a median barrier rail to minimize head-on collisions, injuries, 
and fatalities.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the way that Federal funding should be directed 
toward infrastructure and projects that will improve the quality of 
life for our constituents.
  I am glad in the bill that we will vote on today that is the priority 
and that we will be sending zero dollars to the failed California high-
speed rail.

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