WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Representative Ted Budd (R-NC) offered an amendment, cosponsored by Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Roger Williams (R-TX), and Paul Mitchell (R-MI) to eliminate a $900 million earmark to the Gateway Project, a $29.5 billion Amtrak bridge and tunnel upgrade. The amendment provides $474 million in spending reduction while reprogramming $400 million for transit projects around the country.
“The provision I’m trying to get rid of is a $900 million earmark, about 300 times the size of the average earmark before they were banned,” said Rep Budd. “New Jersey cancelled a similar project in 2010 because it would have cost too much and this project costs $4 billion more. This isn’t a trivial amount of money. North Carolina and the other 48 states should not have to foot the bill for this hall of fame earmark.”
The amendment will likely be debated in the evening tonight, and voted on late, around 10pm.
