The United States Department of Transportation announced Thursday that it would pull $810 million in federal funding from Wisconsin.
The money was earmarked for a high speed rail line from Milwaukee to Madison. However, incoming governor Scott Walker has repeatedly said he would kill the project. Walker argued the line would be too expensive to operate. The governor of Ohio also said he would reject federal rail funds.
The two states’ rail funds will now go to projects in other states, including Illinois and Minnesota.
Milwaukee U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore says Walker’s “hard-lined position” is causing Wisconsin to lose jobs. She says Wisconsin residents now will be “forced to watch economic development” in other states.
Moore says the loss of high speed rail will isolate Wisconsin.