Republicans Have No Transportation Policy

The latest cynical anti-rail move by a Republican congressman proves that the GOP has no transportation policy.

Media reports indicate that Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-New Jersey) wants to take $1.5 billion in high speed rail funds and shift them to Midwest Flood Relief. The reason Frelinghuysen, chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee is making this move is that high speed rail is popular. Neither he nor the House Republican leadership wants to be seen opposing high speed rail.

This whole shoddy and cynical affair shows that the Republicans have no transportation policy beyond “rail bad.” The mindless opposition to high speed rail would make sense if the GOP had plans to rebuild the nation’s highways, improve transit in the cities or build new airports. The truth is the GOP does not have any such plans it simply wants to bash high speed rail because a tiny constituency hates it.

The anti-high speed rail lobby consists of a few well funded think tanks with a knee jerk libertarian agenda. These extremists have switched their sights to high-speed rail because their previous target: light rail has proved very popular with the American people. Indeed, many Republicans who used to attack light rail now routinely vote for big money for it.

This affair bodes well for high speed rail advocates because it proves the Republican rail haters have no real case. Instead of attacking rail on its merits they are using a shoddy legislative trick. Instead of holding a hearing and calling upon such buffoons as Wendell Cox, the GOP is doing this. My guess is because the last thing the Speaker of the House wants is the GOP associated with anti rail propaganda as an election year looms.

The GOP’s lack of a transportation policy is good news for high speed rail backers because a political party that lacks a policy usually ends up adopting its opponents’ policy. That’s what happened to the Democrats on foreign and military policy, they adopted unpopular and irrational positions to please a few extremists in the peace movement. When the peace agenda became untenable, the Democrats simply adopted the Republican agenda. Thus the Obama Administration is following the Bush Doctrine of aggressive military action, increased defense spending and promotion of democracy.

The Republicans who are attacking high speed rail right now will in the near future be voting for huge subsides for new high speed rail lines. Indeed, Mr. Frelinghuysen will probably be one of the first Republicans to do so when his constituents learn he is taking money away from the Northeast Corridor that many of them ride.

Indeed, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who made a big deal of turning down high speed rail funds is now reportedly asking for them back. High speed rail backers do not need to loose any sleep over Rep. Frelinghuysen and his antics, with rising gas prices, numerous media reports about Chinese high speed rail and growing gridlock the GOP will soon quietly adopt the Democrats’ high speed rail agenda. I also predict that in next year’s Presidential Election at least Republican candidate will be pushing a bigger, costlier and more elaborate high speed rail proposal than President Obama’s.