California Sues Trump Admin For Axing $4 Billion High-speed Rail Grant

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced nan California High-Speed Rail Authority is suing nan Trump management complete nan termination of $4 cardinal successful national grants toward nan project. The suit claims that nan authorities terminated national costs retired of governmental spite, not owed to immoderate morganatic issue. It argues that President Donald Trump specifically targeted California because he dislikes nan state.

“Trump’s termination of national grants for California high-speed obstruction reeks of politics. It’s yet different governmental stunt to punish California,” Newsom said successful a statement. “In reality, this is conscionable a heartless onslaught connected nan Central Valley that will put existent jobs and livelihoods connected nan line. We’re suing to extremity Trump from derailing America’s only high-speed obstruction actively nether construction.”

Transportation caput cited task failures for backing termination

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy formally terminated nan national costs connected Wednesday, July 16, citing 16 years of nonaccomplishment pinch nary completed high-speed way and escalating costs.

“This is California’s fault,” Duffy said successful a statement. “Federal dollars are not a blank cheque — they travel pinch a committedness to present results. After complete a decade of failures, CHSRA’s mismanagement and incompetence has proven it cannot build its train to obscurity connected clip aliases connected budget. It’s clip for this boondoggle to die.”

Duffy’s announcement came aft respective months of investigation and a broad compliance review. A February report from California’s Inspector General said nan Merced-to-Bakersfield conception of nan high-speed obstruction was down schedule and $6.5 cardinal complete budget. The reappraisal revealed that, aft 10 years of effort, workers had not constructed immoderate high-speed obstruction track. To support backing flowing, Newsom successful May proposed extending nan state’s c cap-and-trade auction and devoting an further $1 cardinal of that gross to nan obstruction project.

According to Duffy, nan California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) tried, but failed, to hole awesome problems pinch nan project, starring nan Trump management to cancel support for nan project.

CHSRA CEO disputes termination and advancement criticism

Ian Choudri, nan CEO of nan California High-Speed Rail Authority, powerfully disagreed pinch a scheme to extremity nan backing agreements successful June.

“Termination of nan cooperative agreements is unwarranted and unjustified,” Choudri said successful a statement. “I must besides return this opportunity to dispute, successful nan strongest imaginable terms, nan misleading declare that nan Authority has made ‘minimal advancement to beforehand construction,’” he added. “The Authority’s activity has already reshaped nan Central Valley. We person built galore of nan viaducts, overpasses, and underpasses connected which nan first 119 miles of high-speed obstruction way will run.”

In a post connected X, Newsom said nan task is entering nan track-laying shape and nan authorities “will beryllium exploring each options to conflict this forbidden action.”

Newsom has noted that nan California High-Speed Rail task is nan only high-speed obstruction strategy presently nether construction. However, it is important to admit that Florida’s privately operated high-speed obstruction system, Brightline, has already completed building and is now afloat operational. Brightline opened its doors to passengers successful January 2018 aft starting building successful precocious 2014.