Reps. McCaul, Brady, Ellzey Continues to Oppose Taxpayer-Subsidized Federal Funding for High-Speed Rail Project

Congressmen Kevin Brady (TX-08), Jake Ellzey (TX-06) and I sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressing our continued opposition to Texas Central Railroad's (TCR) ability to access taxpayer-subsidized federal funding for their high-speed rail project from Houston to Dallas.

Specifically, we oppose any money from the $10 billion allocated for high-speed rail funding included in the recently passed House version of The Build Back Better Act to go towards the controversial Texas Central Railroad bullet train. Although Texas Central is currently ineligible to access any of these funds for PRIME grants, Congressman Brady will continue to urge against giving taxpayer dollars to this project should they become eligible in the future.

In the letter, we wrote:

"To be clear, we strongly support infrastructure that advances the growth of our country; however, we oppose federal intervention and funding for a controversial project that is tens of billions of dollars over budget, years behind schedule, lacks a single permit to construct and has publicly pledged to be constructed "exclusively with private financing."

"As TCR struggles with financing and permitting – and undergoes a Texas Supreme Court challenge – it is imperative that the U.S. Department of Transportation safeguard taxpayer dollars and recognize the economic injustice imposed upon rural citizens and their communities by a project that private investors are fleeing for good reason."

"In the desire to protect American taxpayers and Texas rural communities, we continue to oppose any taxpayers-subsidized federal funding for Texas Central."

Click here to read the full letter.