Obama Announced High-Speed Rail Fund Grants

WASHINGTON - President Obama and Vice President Biden will announce the recipients of $8 billion of high-speed rail funds today, at a stop in Tampa, Fla.

Big awards will include $2.25 billion for California, $1.25 billion for Florida, and $2.617 billion for 24 projects in the Midwest, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Wisconsin will receive $810 million to connect Milwaukee and Madison, and Illinois will receive $1.1 billion for the Chicago hub network between Chicago and St. Louis, according to House Transportation Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar, D-Minn.

A total of 31 states and the District of Columbia will receive high-speed rail grants, including money for planning and development for future rail lines.

Republicans, including a high-ranking House member from Florida, already are criticizing Obama for not inviting more private investment, and for funding rail lines that will be relatively slow in comparison to high-speed rail in other countries.

"The projects chosen by the administration were not transparently selected and lack adequate private sector financial commitment," House Transportation ranking member John Mica, R-Fla., said in a statement. "Just spending huge amounts of federal taxpayer funds will not insure success of these megaprojects."