Congressman Jim Costa says he wants to work with Trump on High-Speed Rail: ‘I welcome that’

REEDLEY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Congressman Jim Costa defended California’s High-Speed Rail project on Thursday, calling for greater federal support and criticizing opposition efforts.

Costa says California is working to build the first true high-speed rail system in America. He referenced the success of similar projects in Europe and Asia, noting that their national governments played a key role in financing them, something he argues the U.S. has yet to do.

“If President Trump, who has said in the past that he likes fast trains, wants to get engaged in a constructive, positive way, I would welcome that,” Costa said. “I am certain that Governor Newsom would welcome that as well.”

Costa pushed back on claims that the project has spent hundreds of billions of dollars, calling those figures exaggerated. Costa also highlighted the benefits of the High-Speed Rail project for the Central Valley’s economy.

“There’s been a total of a little over $13 billion, of which $10.5 billion has been state money,” Costa said. “[That] $13.5 billion has created over 14,500 jobs, has created an additional $22 billion in economic activity here in the Valley.”

While Costa acknowledged delays and budget overruns, Costa attributed them primarily to legal challenges from project opponents.

“There is an organized effort to kill the project,” Costa said. “These folks have litigated it, which has delayed it, which has then added further costs.”

Costa argued that without these legal battles over the past ten years, the project would be in a different position today.

“If there had not been this organized effort for the last ten years to kill the project, we would not have had the delays and the cost overruns that, are now in question,” Costa said.

Costa reiterated his support for federal involvement in High-Speed Rail, calling for a funding model similar to federal highways, air transportation, and port infrastructure.

“If President Trump wants to be the president to really make a difference in High-Speed Rail in America, he has an opportunity to do so,” Costa said. “But not by spreading erroneous facts and lying about comments that somehow there have been hundreds of billions of dollars spent.”

Costa says for High-Speed Rail to succeed, federal and state cooperation is essential. He called for a real bi-partisan effort from the federal government.

“America doesn’t have what you have in Europe and Asia because the national government, through not only Republican but Democratic administrations, has really not chosen to make that commitment,” Costa said.