Barnhart Senator unveils hidden $162 billion infrastructure cost escalations under the Biden administration's radar
The Senate DOGE Caucus, chaired by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), has released a report highlighting more than a dozen federal infrastructure projects that are over budget by at least $162 billion collectively. These projects are either over $1 billion above budget, more than five years behind schedule, or both.
The flagship example is California's high-speed rail project, which alone exceeds its budget by about $95 billion. The project, launched during the Obama administration, is considered the crown jewel of over-budget, behind-schedule projects. According to a 2018 letter from the state auditor's office, the project was started before the preliminary process was complete, in order to qualify for sunsetting Obama-era stimulus cash.
Senator Ernst described these overruns as "financial train wrecks" and called for rescinding funds from these projects to save taxpayer money. The caucus is working with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who supports holding recipients accountable and recovering $14 billion in yet-to-be-spent funds to return to taxpayers.
The Honolulu rail line is also about $4.5 billion over budget. Another notable project is Maryland's "Purple Line" commuter rail project, which has faced dueling politics and other issues, and received several billion dollars from the federal government.
The report lists details of every federal infrastructure project that is either more than $1 billion over budget, five years past deadline, or both. For instance, a 14-mile Minneapolis light rail extension project doubled its price tag to $2.74 billion, and a less-than-2-mile project in California, connecting the state's future high-speed rail system, Caltrain, and local rail via a tunnel, is expected to cost $8 billion.
On the East Coast, the project to untangle the interchange between New Jersey's "42 Freeway," Interstate 295, and the Walt Whitman Bridge from Philadelphia, is several years past-due. A project in Iowa, where Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 briefly converge in Council Bluffs, is listed in the report for being tardy.
The report also mentions a project in California, extending the BART system, which would pass Norman Y. Mineta International Airport in San Jose, curve north on the other side of the Bay, and end in Berryessa, California. The Honolulu rail project requires an additional $9.9 billion to be completed, according to the report, which also states that this amount is about half of the average annual budget for the entire state of Hawaii.
The Senate DOGE Caucus has introduced the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act, which requires every federal agency to report on projects that are severely delayed or over budget. This act aims to prevent such financial train wrecks in the future.
A photo of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) signing her name on a concrete wall at what is supposed to be an extension of the Caltrain system in San Francisco is included in the report. Secretary Sean Duffy endorses Senate DOGE's efforts, stating that if projects are receiving taxpayer dollars, they should be held accountable by the American people.
The report uses California's high-speed rail project as a benchmark for a boondoggle, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in federal infrastructure spending. The full report can be viewed through the Senate DOGE Caucus's press release.
Reporting by Charles Creitz for Fox News Digital
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