The Obama Administration is moving ahead with its plans for a national high-speed rail system after opposition on the part of some conservative lawmakers backfired.
As part of its ambitious 25-year plan to connect 80% of the U.S. with high-speed rail, the Obama Administration intends to ask Congress for $53 billion over six years to fund the system. According to the Huffington Post, this initial outlay would be
"a drop in the bucket relative to the price tag needed to complete a national system, even on top of the approximately $11 billion that the administration has already spent. [As well, the] states...would only have to provide a small portion of the funds for the rail projects themselves. Republican governors have tried to flex their fiscally-conservative muscles by declining federal funds for high-speed rail projects, but in several instances, the backlash has been severe."
With the majority of states recognizing the benefits of rail, it appears that the proposal will obtain bipartisan support.
For more high-speed rail news, visit The Railist.
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