WASHINGTON – Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), released the following statement in response to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s announcement that the Department of Transportation will conduct a review of the California High-Speed Rail project to determine if $4 billion in grant funding from the Federal Railroad Administration should be revoked:
“As America’s largest transportation labor federation, representing thousands of rail and building trades workers who will build, operate, and maintain the California High-Speed Rail System, we strongly disagree with Secretary Duffy’s remarks that this is ‘a crappy project’ and ‘a train to nowhere’.
“The California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) project is the most ambitious and innovative transportation project in the entire country. It has created thousands of middle-class jobs, putting more than 14,600 Americans to work already, and been an economic boon to more than 800 small businesses that are involved in the project. Most of the 500-mile Phase 1 System from San Francisco to Los Angeles is shovel ready, with 171 miles under active construction across the Central Valley and nearly 40 construction projects that have been completed. The project continues to enjoy popular support from Californians, with a majority saying they believe it is a good use of state funds.
“Despite false claims from critics, the State of California has funded the majority of this 21st century project–not federal dollars. Amid funding setbacks over the years, including a $929 million federal grant that former President Trump cancelled in 2019, the project is making significant progress. The independent Inspector General of the CAHSR provided recommendations on improving the project’s efficiency and recognized the efforts of the CAHSR Authority to implement them. Those who claim to care about fiscal responsibility should focus on helping America build faster, rather than stalling construction, which will only drive up costs.
“Building ambitious projects requires bold leadership and a commitment to getting the job done. Just last year, President Trump complained that the United States does not have bullet trains similar to Japan. We agree with him that it is past time for our country to have these kinds of modern, efficient, high-capacity transportation systems. We also realize that those nations with bullet trains are ones who prioritized and paid for them. We are the wealthiest country in the world, and Americans deserve world-class trains right here at home.
“We urge President Trump to truly be a Builder-in-Chief by bringing high-speed rail to America.”
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