WASHINGTON, DC - The federal agency in charge of $8 billion in economic stimulus spending on high-speed-rail projects doesn't have the staff or expertise to properly oversee the money, government investigators and congressional critics say.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), whose main job until now had been keeping freight and passenger railroads safe, awarded the high-speed-rail grants in January -- months later than planned.

The top Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee called the award process "amateur hour," saying the agency didn't consult closely enough with elected officials and devoted too much money to projects helping increase speeds on existing Amtrak routes. Rep. John Mica of Florida said he's considering subpoenaing agency records to review its decision-making process.

"I'm very concerned that FRA's work missed the mark, and maybe hijacked the ability of the country to see some true high-speed rail-operations," Mica said in a telephone interview.

The rail agency didn't have enough workers to review applications by states and transportation agencies, causing delays, the Transportation Department inspector general said in a November report. The agency brought in staff from other department offices to help review 214 applications, the report said.

"Our evaluation of the agency's efforts raises significant concerns about its ability to handle these new responsibilities," the Transportation Department investigators wrote.