Congressional Republicans demand information on California's high-speed rail project

Congressional Republicans are demanding accusation from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg connected what they telephone a "highly questionable" high-speed obstruction task successful California, according to a missive archetypal obtained by ABC News.

The ambitious program aims to physique a lengthy high-speed obstruction corridor that would yet link Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and respective cities successful between. California voters archetypal approved the inaugural successful a 2008 ballot measure.

But, the "California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) inactive has not completed a azygous conception of the system, the full estimated outgo has ballooned to $128 cardinal and counting, and determination is nary expected completion date," according to the missive from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the ranking subordinate connected the Senate Commerce Committee, and Missouri Rep. Sam Graves, president of the House Transportation Committee.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority said enactment is underway connected the archetypal 171-mile agelong of railway from Merced to Bakersfield, and that the wide task has created much than 13,000 jobs statewide, according to a May press release.

But Cruz and Graves said the task has faced a bid of delays and isn't astir adjacent to afloat funded, including an other $2.5 cardinal inactive needed for the Merced conception presently nether operation and slated for completion betwixt 2030 and 2033.

The lawmakers are present demanding the Department of Transportation little some committees and supply documents connected the presumption of project, peculiarly focusing connected a caller national assistance of $3 cardinal from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

"Despite grounds that continues to amusement that the California High Speed Rail task has captious issues indicating determination is nary tenable way guardant for palmy completion of the project...the Biden medication continues to allocate important national payer dollars to this highly questionable endeavor," their missive read.

In effect to the letter, a Department of Transportation spokesperson told ABC News, "High-speed obstruction volition revolutionize question and grow economical accidental present successful America. We're not lone supporting projects that are underway, and, successful the lawsuit of California, already employing thousands of people-- we're besides gathering a pipeline of imaginable projects crossed the state that volition instrumentality signifier successful the decades to come."

The determination by GOP lawmakers comes arsenic President Joe Biden continues to tout infrastructure improvements and investments successful things similar high-speed obstruction from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law connected the 2024 run way arsenic 1 of his signature achievements.

The law, signed by Biden successful 2021, authorized $1.2 trillion for proscription and infrastructure spending with $550 cardinal dedicated for caller programs. Both Cruz and Graves voted against the legislation, contempt it providing billions of dollars successful backing for their states.

"Politics are politics. This task has been a governmental shot from the beginning," Brian Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, told ABC News successful a statement. "The information is, wherever we are nether progressive construction, creating jobs and investing into the section economy, the enactment of this task has turned opponents into supporters. As we proceed to beforehand high-speed obstruction into different parts of the authorities we expect to spot that continue."

The authorization said it continues to prosecute backing to implicit the full archetypal signifier of its project, which volition screen San Francisco to Los Angeles.