On Wednesday, Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst published a report outlining 12 projects that are either exceeding their budgets or experiencing significant delays.
Ernst’s 50-page report follows a letter from Transport Secretary Sean Duffy to Vice President J.D. Vance, which identified 14 Department of Transport projects with cost overruns of at least $1 billion or delays of more than five years. She noted that additional projects have come under scrutiny after the Trump administration withdrew funding from California’s high-speed rail initiatives.
“As bureaucrats continue to inflate the bamboo, it’s not fair for taxpayers to finance these ‘gravy trains’ and bridges,” Ernst stated to DCNF. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for a billion-dollar ride. It’s time to call a stop to these boondoggles.”
In a tweet, she commented, “Another win for taxpayers. For years, I’ve fought against California’s Crazy Train, and now it’s finally being shut down. Let’s tackle even more boondoggles!”
Ernst’s report indicates these projects have racked up at least $162.9 billion in budgets, with California’s high-speed rail making up $95 billion of that total in cost overruns.
She specifically requested Duffy’s list of projects that fit the criteria outlined in Section 11319 of the Infrastructure Investment and Employment Law, which was signed by then-President Joe Biden in November 2021.
However, she criticized the manner in which the report was compiled, saying it lacked detail and omitted information on well-known boondoggles.
One project, the Columbus Crossroads Corridor, has faced schedule delays, with updated estimates now exceeding $881 million. Initially slated for completion in 2018, the project is now expected to finish in 2037.
Another listed project, the Honolulu Rail Transport Project, which began in 2012, has surpassed its budget by $4.8 billion and has shifted its completion date from 2020 to 2031. The Maryland Light Rail Project and the Washington Metro purple line are also highlighted, showing a budget overrun of $3.1 billion and delays extending beyond five years, with completion not anticipated until February 2028.
“If taxpayer dollars are involved, accountability is essential. I commend Senator Ernst for ensuring federal funds are used effectively,” Duffy remarked.
Ernst also pointed to other budget excesses, such as the Bureau of Veterans Affairs’ electronic records system, noting that cost overruns could be one of the project’s lesser issues.
She mentioned significant overruns in defense projects as well, including costs for new planes for Air Force 1 and new icebreakers for the Coast Guard, the latter amounting to $2 billion in her report. The report also highlighted $3.1 billion in renovations to the Federal Reserve headquarters.
Since her election to the U.S. Senate in 2014, Ernst has prioritized addressing government waste. Recently, she has emphasized the effects of telework on federal agencies. In a detailed letter to Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, she spotlighted wasteful government spending, estimating potential savings of over $2 trillion.
