Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took to X on Wednesday, claiming President Joe Biden was making an attempt to public sale off supplies meant for development of a border wall “for pennies on the greenback in secret.”
Some members of Congress made related claims on social media and in interviews that the Biden administration was promoting items of usable materials to stifle wall-building efforts only a month earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace. Trump additionally weighed in, calling the public sale an “nearly a legal act” throughout a press convention Monday.
“I’m asking in the present day, Joe Biden, to please cease promoting the wall,” Trump mentioned.
The sale, nonetheless, was ordered final 12 months by Congress, and Texas had already obtained materials from the federal authorities — and bought extra earlier this 12 months.
Right here’s what it’s best to know in regards to the controversy:
What’s being bought and why?
The Trump administration invested $15 billion in border wall development, shopping for materials with the intent of setting up a whole lot of miles of obstacles throughout the southwest border. A lot of the development changed or up to date already-existing obstacles, and in the present day 140 miles of barrier — principally constructed earlier than the Trump administration — strains the Texas-Mexico border.
Trump estimated in his press convention Monday that about 200 miles’ value of fabric was nonetheless unused after he left workplace and Biden halted most wall development (some wall development continued below Biden).
The plan for the unused materials was determined in 2023, when Congress handed the annual Nationwide Protection Authorization Act and Republican lawmakers added a piece directing federal officers to submit a plan to Congress on easy methods to eliminate extra border wall materials.
The Division of Protection submitted its plan in March, permitting the switch of fabric to U.S. Customs and Border Safety and states, with a desire for southwest border initiatives. Congress required that any supplies obtained by states be used to keep up present border obstacles.
CBP, Texas and California obtained greater than 60% of the fabric via a “reutilization, switch, and donation course of,” in accordance with the Division of Homeland Safety.
Patrick mentioned in a Fox Information interview Thursday that Texas additionally purchased $12 million value of fabric throughout a summer time public sale, sufficient to construct about 4 miles of border wall.
How did wall supplies find yourself being auctioned?
The remaining 40% was bought in June to authorities and navy surplus firm GovPlanet, which moved the supplies to Arizona in December and listed them for public sale on its web site — a few of it with beginning bids of $5. GovPlanet had beforehand auctioned off different border wall materials in late 2023.
Federal officers requested that GovPlanet take away them from public sale after a Every day Wire article documented the supplies being transferred to Arizona and referred to as the transfer “an obvious effort to hinder President-elect Donald Trump’s effort to safe the border.” That prompted lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to name the transfer “sabotage” in social media posts referencing the article.
Within the Fox Information interview, Patrick framed the public sale as a last-ditch try by Biden to hinder future wall development by discarding usable supplies, calling it a “Nice Biden Christmas border wall heist.”
How are Texas officers attempting to dam the public sale?
Trump mentioned Monday that he spoke with Texas Lawyer Basic Ken Paxton about blocking the auctions. A day later, Paxton filed a movement alongside Texas Land Commissioner Daybreak Buckingham in a preexisting case, claiming the sale to GovPlanet violates a everlasting injunction {that a} federal choose authorised in Could.
That injunction prevents the Biden administration from redirecting cash meant for wall development for different functions — however it doesn’t point out wall supplies. Paxton and Buckingham’s movement argues that as a result of the supplies have been bought with the restricted funds, promoting them to GovPlanet violates the injunction.
“If border wall supplies … have been bought to 3rd events, it’s as if DHS took the congressional appropriation and gave the funds to a 3rd occasion — opposite to this Courtroom’s command that these funds be used solely for the ‘development of bodily obstacles,’” the movement states.
The movement additionally requests that the federal authorities present the manufacture date and authentic funding supply for every of the wall supplies bought to GovPlanet.
Will Texas purchase extra of the wall materials?
In a Dec. 13 publish, Patrick mentioned the supplies on the public sale block weren’t value salvaging.
“The Texas Amenities Fee informed us in the present day that the fabric on the market was principally junk, with most panels coated in concrete and rust,” Patrick posted. “There have been just a few panels that may be usable however not value the price of transport to Texas from Arizona.”
However on Wednesday, Patrick claimed that the public sale lot contained usable wall panels that have been “not clearly seen earlier than.”
Patrick mentioned Texas could be keen to purchase any usable wall panels in the event that they change into accessible.
He mentioned GovPlanet assured Texas officers that the state could be the primary notified when wall supplies are put up for public sale once more.
Patrick additionally mentioned that if the state bought extra wall supplies, it could donate them to the federal authorities after Trump takes workplace on Jan. 20.
This text initially appeared in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and interesting Texans on state politics and coverage.
