Rescission of CA HSR Funds?

With Republicans in control of Congress, could it pass an amendment that rescinds the $3.3 billion in federal funding for the CA high-speed rail project, or is the funding safe, since it already has been obligated?

Even if the Republicans in Congress were to pass such legislation, the current President would likely veto it. And since the party in power in the Senate lacks the 60 votes to override a fillibuster, it would not be possible for the senate to override a Presidential veto.

So, expect no such recission of HSR funds to be approved before results of the next election take power in January 2017, and only then if the Republicans hold the White House, the House of Representatives, and at least 60 seats in the Senate.

chakk said:

Even if the Republicans in Congress were to pass such legislation, the current President would likely veto it. And since the party in power in the Senate lacks the 60 votes to override a fillibuster, it would not be possible for the senate to override a Presidential veto.

So, expect no such recission of HSR funds to be approved before results of the next election take power in January 2017, and only then if the Republicans hold the White House, the House of Representatives, and at least 60 seats in the Senate.

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If the Republicans were to pass a rescission, it would be included in an omnibus appropriations bill that the President might have to sign to protect other programs or to keep the government operating. That is how $400 million was rescinded from the $2.5 billion in FY2010 HSIPR appropriations after the 2010 elections.

I expect there will be noise made by some House Republicans about canceling the unspent CA HSR grants. But the funds have been obligated and contracts have been awarded, so the federal government would be in effect breaking contracts to take the remaining funds back. I doubt there will be a serious effort to do so, given that Gov. Brown and the CA legislature have provided a substantial revenue funding stream in the years ahead for the CA HSR project.

If a new Republican President and Republican controlled House & Senate were to pass and sign a bill rescinding the HSR grants to CA in early 2017, it would mostly be a moot point because the HSIPR stimulus grants have to be spent by September, 2017. BTW, I do not expect a Republican controlled Senate in 2017 as the electoral map for the US Senate seats up for election in 2016 is vastly more favorable for the Democrats than it was in 2014.