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California on Tuesday sued the Trump government for raising nearly $ 1 billion in federal funding for the state's high-speed rail project, a multi-year proposal that exceeds the budget that President Trump has mocked many times over. times and that the Republicans have vowed to close.
The federal railway administration announced last week that it would not give Golden State the money granted by Congress almost 10 years ago, as the project has not been improved.
The state must complete construction of a portion of the track in the central valley agricultural center until 2022 to retain the money, but the Trump administration argued that California could in no way meet the deadline. .
The state's Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, says federal funding has more to do with California's criticisms of Trump's controversial immigration policies and less with a high-speed train.
CALIFORNIA'S BULLET TRAIN AND LARGEST MANIOT IS ON BUDGET BY BILLIONS
The state is also seeking a temporary blocking order to ask a judge to prevent the Trump administration from reallocating the money, the governor's office said.
"The decision was precipitated by the apparent hostility of President Trump to California, the challenge he has launched against his border crossing initiatives and what he has called the high-speed train project "ecological disaster" ", said the state in a lawsuit.
California spent more than 10 years trying to set up a high-speed train service between Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the project suffered delays and exceeded all budgets.
It should now cost about $ 77 billion and be completed by 2033.
The $ 929 million that the Trump administration wants to recover is essential for a segment of the Central Valley route that is expected to cost about $ 12 billion.
California should not tap into this funding until 2021.
The state has already spent $ 2.5 billion in federal funds and the Trump administration is looking into whether it can try to recover that money.
TRUMP DERILE ADMINISTRATION CALIFORNIA'S HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECT PURSUES $ 1 BILLION IN FUNDING
The California high-speed train project embarrassed the state and was plagued by problems almost from the start.
The idea has long been championed by Newsom's predecessor, Jerry Brown.
High-speed rail planners were increasingly under pressure to move the system forward, which many thought was not a plausible way to get users through the system. State in three hours or less.
California voters approved the expensive proposal in 2008. Supporters – including several Democratic lawmakers – have touted it as an inventive concept that would connect Californians and transform transit policies.
But critics claimed that the high-speed train project was a waste of time and money.
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"This high-speed train is a solution in search of a problem that faces billions of dollars in cost overruns and poor fiscal management," said Mark Kersey, San Diego City Councilor. Fox News in 2018, adding that the billions spent on the project "could have been invested in our current infrastructure needs, such as water storage, flood control, highways and bridges."
Bill Mears (Fox News) and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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