Florida officials split over Brightline bonds

Members of Florida’s congressional delegation are split over bonds for the controversial Brightline passenger train service that expanded south to Miami last week.

In separate letters, delegation members urged U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to support or suspend $1.15 billion in federally-authorized tax-exempt bonds that Brightline’s parent company, All Aboard Florida, intends to use to finance a northern expansion of the service through the Treasure Coast to Orlando.

“We are concerned that financing programs created by Congress with the express goal of encouraging private investment in projects that serve a public purpose are under attack by certain interests attempting to undermine this project,” the letter Monday from bond supporters said.

Among the members of Congress signing the pro-Brightline letter, which describes the private rail service now operating between West Palm Beach and Miami as “transformative” and a “project of national and regional significance,” were Republicans John Rutherford, Dennis Ross, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Carlos Curbelo and Democrats Darren Soto, Lois Frankel and Frederica Wilson. Most represent areas with Brightline stops now in place or planned.

The letter followed a letter last Wednesday to Chao from U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., seeking to have the bonds suspended before All Aboard Florida can put them on the market.

The letter was signed by Florida Republican Congressmen Brian Mast, Bill Posey, Ron DeSantis and Matt Gaetz.

Meadows, as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee, held an April 19 hearing on the bonds at the request of Mast. During that hearing, the North Carolina congressman expressed his displeasure in the bond approval.

Mast and Posey represent districts that cover the Treasure Coast, where opposition to the rail service has been the most pronounced.