Surprise! CA comes out big winner in $1.2 trillion government funding bill

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FILE - In this July 1, 2013, file photo, commuters board a Caltrain train at the Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Millbrae, Calif. The Federal Transit Administration is delaying a decision on whether to approve a $650 million federal grant for electrification of a San Francisco Bay Area train system that would also help California's high-speed rail project. Congressional Republicans had pushed the administration to reject the application from Caltrain. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) — Commuters board a Caltrain train at the Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Millbrae, Calif.

Both the House and the Senate this week passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill that would keep the government running until September.

Both the House and the Senate this week passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill that would keep the government running until September. The bill now awaits President Trump’s signature.

As reported by various outlets, the deal includes $15 billion for the military, and $1.5 billion for border security.

But it also includes a whole lot of funding for California projects. Yesterday, the office of state Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) blasted out a press release detailing the amount these projects -- including $100 million for Caltrain electrification and $407 million in emergency funds to fight wildfires-- are getting. The spending bill would not strip funding for so-called “sanctuary cities,” nor does it strip funding for Planned Parenthood.

Here’s a partial list of CA projects in the spending bill:

$140 million for drought resiliency projects, which President Trump proposed eliminating.
$800 million for nine transit projects in California.
$100 million for Caltrain electrification.
$100 million for BART to San Jose.
$150 million for San Francisco Central Subway.
$100 million for Los Angeles Regional Connector.
$100 million for Los Angeles Purple Line Phase 1.
$100 million for Los Angeles Purple Line Phase 2.
$50 million for San Diego Mid-Coast Light Rail.
$50 million for Orange County Streetcar.
$50 million for Sacramento Streetcar.
$528 million for emergency repairs to U.S. highways that will help California repair roadways damaged by winter storms.
An additional $407 million in emergency funds to fight wildfires in advance of a potentially catastrophic wildfire season.
$10.2 million for the development of an earthquake early-warning system.
$43 million to battle youth homelessness.
$3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program, which President Trump proposed slashing by $1.5 billion.
$500 million for TIGER transportation grants, which President Trump proposed eliminating.
$10 million for water and wastewater infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border.
$4.8 million for restoration of the San Francisco Bay.
An additional $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health.
$512 million to combat opioid abuse.
Additional grant flexibility to spur the development of affordable housing.
No riders blocking California high-speed rail.
No riders preempting California law to provide meal and rest breaks for truck drivers.

Guest:

Evan Halper, DC-based reporter for the LA Times who’s been looking at President Trump’s use of federal money as a reward or punishment for states who support or oppose his agenda. He tweets

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