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The Biden administration has been actively selling surplus border wall materials in an effort to outrun Republican attempts to pass legislation supporting its completion. A company called GovPlanet, specializing in military surplus, recently auctioned off steel structural tubes intended for the border wall.
These 28-foot-tall hollow beams, considered excess materials turned over by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, fetched around $2 million. GovPlanet managed to sell 81 lots of these beams, with each lot averaging around $212. An additional 13 structural tubes are scheduled for auction later this month.
To comply with regulations, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been disposing of the excess border wall materials, with about $154 million worth of bollard panels and other materials already transferred.
Approximately $260 million worth of materials remains to be dealt with, pending a decision on their disposition. Former President Donald Trump allocated $15 billion for building 450 miles of barriers along the southern border, with construction ongoing for another 250 miles when he left office.
However, President Biden halted the project, citing concerns about the expense and its diversion of attention from other security threats.
Republicans in Congress have criticized the Department of Defense’s spending of $130,000 daily to store leftover border wall panels. In response, they introduced the Finish It Act, which encourages the use of previously purchased and unused panels to extend the border wall or for construction purposes in states such as Texas.
The introduction of this legislation coincided with an increase in GovPlanet auctions in May. The scheduled auctions intensified further after the Democrat-led Senate passed the annual defense appropriations package, which included the Republican-backed bill to resume border wall construction.
Concerned Republican lawmakers suspect that the Biden administration is rushing to sell the remaining border wall parts before corresponding legislation is passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives.
They view this as a wasteful and outrageous decision, indicating the administration’s lack of shame. Senator Tom Cotton called it ‘Bidenomics in a nutshell,’ criticizing the sale as leaving the border vulnerable while harming border security efforts.
Senator James Lankford added that the revenue generated from selling the border wall parts will not compensate the families affected by criminal activities facilitated by open borders during the Biden administration.
Representative Elise Stefanik condemned the sale of border wall parts as reckless, pointing out the overwhelming number of illegal immigrants crossing the border and compromising national security. Representative Juan Ciscomani criticized President Biden for his lack of action, highlighting the need for the federal government to employ every possible means to secure the border.
He expressed disappointment in the materials being squandered and auctioned off instead of being put to their intended use. Representative Nicole Malliotakis also emphasized the disregard for taxpayer dollars and the impact on communities dealing with the consequences of an open border.
Despite differing viewpoints on the border wall, it is clear that the Biden administration’s decision to sell off surplus materials has provoked strong reactions from Republicans.
While the administration emphasizes cost-effectiveness and concerns about security, Republicans assert that the sale represents a neglectful approach that compromises national borders. The debate surrounding the border wall and immigration policies remains a deeply divisive issue in American politics.
