Watchdog Slams House Dems for $494 Billion Transportation Bill

For Immediate Release
June 3, 2020
Contact: Grace Morgan
(202-855-4380)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) strongly criticized House Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for unveiling a $494 billion surface transportation bill filled with copious amounts of waste and pet projects. The legislation would triple funding for Amtrak to $29 billion through 2025, and mandate that the Department of Transportation institute greenhouse gas reduction measures and set abatement goals for states. The bill provides $8.35 billion for states to comply with these regulations. In addition, the legislation includes $1.4 billion in “electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure grants” and $1 billion in “community climate innovation grants” through 2025.

TPA’s Vice President of Policy Ross Marchand slammed the Committee for this bloated bill, stating, “now is the worst possible time for Congress to take up a staggering $500 billion bill for crony ‘green’ subsidies and payouts to politically-connected corporations. This year’s deficit is quickly approaching $4 trillion, with federal debt already amounting to more than $190,000 for each and every household in America. Despite this ballooning spending and the continued calamity from the Coronavirus pandemic, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is asking taxpayers to part ways with even more of their hard-earned dollars. Lawmakers need to look for ways to reduce spending, not drown taxpayers in red ink.”

Marchand continued: “The Committee’s proposed $1.4 billion in EV spending is nothing more than blatant Robin Hood-in-reverse policies that benefit the few at the expense of the many. According to research by Dr. Wayne Winegarden of the Pacific Research Institute, roughly 80 percent of EV tax credits accrue to households making six-figures. These infrastructure grants would be no different, diverting precious dollars away from struggling, hard-working families at a time they can least afford it.”

“The proposed tripling of funding to Amtrak over a five-year period is particularly perplexing, given that the passenger rail corporation is already woefully mismanaged. In the leadup to the pandemic, Amtrak was busy using $2 billion in hard-earned taxpayer dollars on shaving an hour off of a five-and-a-half-hour train route between Chicago and St. Louis. Now Congress is proposing a massive ramp-up in funding to the rail corporation, without any assurance that Amtrak won’t simply use these funds to pursue even more wasteful and unnecessary boondoggles. Lawmakers should be holding Amtrak accountable, not doubling-down on a failed subsidy scheme.”

Marchand concluded: “Lawmakers need to reject the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s $500 billion giveaway to special interest groups. Taxpayers deserve relief, not more debt from Uncle Sam.”

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