Congresswoman Torres Statement on DOT’s Unlawful Freeze of $160 Million in Transportation Funding for California
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees Department of Transportation funding, criticized Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy’s announcement that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will unlawfully withhold approximately $160 million in federal taxpayer dollars from the State of California.
“The Trump Administration’s decision to suspend $160 million in highway and surface transportation funding for California is unacceptable and reckless. These are federal dollars paid by California taxpayers, and withholding them puts road safety, infrastructure projects, and local jobs at risk across our state.
“California is the largest donor state in the nation, paying $83 billion more to the federal government each year than our state receives back in federal funding. We are not asking for a handout, we are demanding that our residents see their own federal tax dollars return home to support the infrastructure they rely on every day. Using transportation funding as a political weapon undermines public safety and needlessly punishes millions of Californians.
“Our state deserves a federal government that follows the law and gives California its fair share, not sudden funding suspensions that create uncertainty for workers, local governments, and communities. That's why I introduced the Taxpayer Protection Act, legislation to stop politically motivated funding cuts and address the persistent imbalance between what donor states contribute and what they receive. Our state deserves a federal government that follows the law and gives California its fair share.”
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