Rep. Loretta Sanchez Applauds Proposed $53 Billion Investment in High Speed rail

Urges Administration to Commit Significant Portion of Funds to California

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), along with members of the California Democratic delegation, led a letter to President Obama applauding the Administration’s commitment to investing $53 billion over the next six years to high speed rail, and urging the Administration to commit a significant portion of that funding to high speed rail projects in California. Rep. Sanchez praised the President’s announcement, which represents a very significant expansion in rail funding, and encouraged the President to view California as a partner in building a better connected America.

“I am very pleased with President Obama’s proposal to make $53 billion in additional funding available for a national high-speed, intercity passenger rail network,” said Rep. Sanchez.  “High speed rail is the way of the future, and investments in local infrastructure will help to create jobs and grow our economy.  California, and particularly Orange County, has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to high speed rail, and already has the plans and initial infrastructure in place.  I encourage the President as he moves forward to concentrate this federal investment in a state like ours that is ideal for a high speed rail and is also prepared to implement such a system. ”

A full copy of the letter can be found below:

Dear President Obama:

As House Members of the California delegation, we were thrilled to learn that the Administration plans to move forward with a job-creation initiative. Tuesday’s announcement of a proposed $53 billion investment in infrastructure – specifically high-speed rail – over the next six years is a smart investment to move our economy in the right direction.  

As benefactors of this new investment, we believe that our home state of California can significantly contribute to the prosperity of our nation’s future. As we work to repair our economy, we must make investments that can create and sustain a new innovative base that brings together the best of America and making high-speed rail a reality in California will accomplish this objective.  

Already armed with $9 billion in state bonds and roughly $3.6 billion from the federal government, receiving funding from the newly proposed investment in infrastructure will place California about two-thirds of the way toward funding the entire project for a high-speed rail system in California.  This is a smart investment because it would ensure that California would meet the 2020 deadline and attract investments from the private sector. Further, this investment will create the jobs that many Californians are desperately looking for; this will positively impact our state’s economy and play a pivotal role in bringing down an unemployment rate that surpasses the nation’s rate of unemployed Americans.

Our delegation supports your objective to give eighty percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years. We are hopeful that as your administration moves forward with this investment, you will continue to see California as a partner in building a 21st century America. An investment in California’s high-speed rail system is an investment in the nation’s prosperity. 

We are hopeful that we can work with your administration to successfully move forward with this essential investment for the future of California and the country as a whole. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

CC: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman and Ranking Member

Appropriations Committee Chairman and Ranking Member