Tax Dollars Wasted on Costly, Delayed Infrastructure Projects

A new Senate report reveals billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on infrastructure projects that are billions over budget and years behind schedule. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, released "Off the Rails: The Billion Dollar Boondoggles Taking Taxpayers for a Ride," detailing projects such as Minnesota’s costliest public works project and a Hawaii rail project that exceeds half of the state’s annual budget.
Ernst highlighted poor planning, mismanagement, and excessive red tape as key reasons for delays and cost overruns. She criticized the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which included her amendment requiring the Department of Transportation to issue annual reports on overbudget projects. Despite missing multiple deadlines, the Transportation Department recently released a list of costly delays, though it lacked critical details.
Among the most egregious projects is California’s High-Speed Rail, which Trump administration officials recently pulled $4 billion from, calling it a “train to nowhere.” The project, originally estimated at $5 billion, now costs $18 billion and remains unfinished a decade after its planned completion.
Other projects, like Hawaii’s rail transit system, have ballooned by $4.8 billion and are delayed by 11 years. Similarly, Washington, D.C.’s purple line subway project, initially budgeted at $2.4 billion, now costs $5.5 billion.
Ernst’s report also notes significant delays in upgrading rail service between Chicago and St. Louis, which is 11 years behind schedule, and a project in Ohio that is 19 years overdue.
The report underscores the need for accountability and urges an end to wasteful spending. "Every dollar sunk into one of these billion-dollar boondoggles is a missed opportunity to support other initiatives that could better serve taxpayers at a fraction of the cost," Ernst said.

Published: 7/30/2025