House Committee Probes California High-Speed Rail Project
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) - A congressional committee has begun a review of California's high-speed rail project, including possible conflicts of interest and whether a large government commitment would pull federal tax dollars away from other transportation projects.
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-San Diego), notified the California High-Speed Rail Authority about the review Monday and ordered the agency to preserve its documents and records of past communications.
KCBS Political Analyst Marc Sandalow Comments:
Committee members say they want to ensure that tax dollars are being spent appropriately and check for possible conflicts of interest involving rail officials and contractors.
As much as $4 billion in federal funds have either been provided or set aside so far for the 500-mile project. The current estimated cost of the project is $68 billion.
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