Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa has announced that she’s focusing on more “billion-dollar boondoggles” after the Trump administration halted funding for California’s high-speed rail. The Trump administration revealed that it would no longer be granting over $100 billion allocated to this project, which is already years behind schedule.
Ernst expressed support for this decision, noting her efforts to cut federal funding for California’s $133 billion initiative. She hinted at investigating additional problematic programs as well. “We’re pleased to have halted California’s Crazy Train, and it’s great to have worked with the Trump administration on this,” Ernst told a news outlet. “While we’re managing a budget of $100 billion, we haven’t laid a single track on this gravy train. There are more issues, especially with the $1 billion boondoggles we’ll be looking into later this month.”
A source close to Ernst mentioned that the $2.5 billion renovation project for the Federal Reserve building might be another project at risk of being cut. Reports suggest that billions have already been spent on various projects nationwide, with many facing years of delays.
In an April 1 letter, Ernst urged Transport Secretary Sean Duffy to compile a list of projects that either meet specific criteria—like being on schedule five years out or exceeding $1 billion in budget—or face scrutiny. This request aligns with a law signed by President Joe Biden in late 2021 aimed at infrastructure investment. Previously, Ernst had released a list indicating over $110 billion in cost overruns across five rail projects, part of her “Boondoggle Awards,” which included the California High-Speed Rail Program as well as projects in San Francisco, Maryland, and Minnesota.
California’s high-speed rail endeavor has been notably discussed over the years due to its escalating costs, which started at an initial $33 billion estimate. As of 2023, over $600 million has been allocated just for environmental assessments, while actual construction hasn’t yet commenced.
In June, the California High-Speed Rail Agency defended the project amid criticism from the Department of Transport, indicating it could take two decades to finish the first segment. A review of the project, initiated by the Trump administration, revealed several “red flags” according to Duffy.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the end of federal funding and promised to fight to maintain financial support for the initiative. He accused the Trump administration of attempting to undermine California’s progress. “We won’t allow this,” Newsom stated, asserting that the state has various strategies to combat what he called an “illegal act.”
In 2019, Newsom suggested that the project might not be feasible, proposing instead a new 160-mile line connecting Bakersfield and Merced. “Let’s do high-speed rail right,” he declared, emphasizing that the original plan was too costly and lengthy with no clear route from Sacramento to San Diego or San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Since her election in 2014, Ernst has paid particular attention to government waste. Her concerns were further highlighted by a recent executive order from Trump, which mandated that federal employees return to in-person work. In her communications with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, she detailed various instances of inefficiency, noting that addressing these could potentially save $2 trillion.
