In a striking turn of events, the Biden administration has reportedly initiated the sale of millions of dollars’ worth of materials originally intended for the border wall. This move is perceived as a tactical race against Republicans who are actively working to pass legislation aimed at resuming the construction of the border wall.
Captivating images have emerged of steel “square structural tubes,” once intended as vertical bollards for the border wall’s towering 30-foot panels, now listed for sale on GovPlanet—an online auction platform operated by the Canadian firm Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, specializing in military surplus. These 28-foot-tall hollow beams, denoted as “excess border wall materials,” were relinquished to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for disposition, eventually finding their way to the auction block.
GovPlanet has swiftly orchestrated the auctioning of these materials, selling 81 lots of the distinctive beams for an approximate sum of $2 million. Interestingly, the beams, integral to the border wall’s structural design, were divided into five separate lots, with an average price of $212 per unit. This calculated move led to GovPlanet netting a substantial $154,200 for the sale of 729 units. Furthermore, the auction platform has slated the auctioning of an additional 13 square structural tubes for the forthcoming dates of August 23 and August 30, as indicated on their website.
In response to inquiries, a spokesperson from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers communicated that the disposition of surplus border wall materials aligns with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. To date, a substantial portion of the approximately $260 million worth of bollard panels and associated materials have been transferred, amounting to roughly $154 million. The spokesperson also underlined the agency’s preparedness to adopt a decisive stance regarding the disposition of the remaining materials.
This development comes in the wake of the actions of former President Donald Trump, who directed an expenditure of $15 billion towards erecting 450 miles of border barriers. An additional 250 miles were in the process of construction at the time of his departure from office.
President Biden promptly halted the taxpayer-funded project upon assuming office, deeming the border wall construction as an allocation of resources that diverges attention from genuine homeland security threats. In response, Congressional Republicans have highlighted that the Department of Defense had been incurring substantial costs—$47 million annually or approximately $130,000 per day—to store leftover border wall panels in the Southwest.
Senators Ted Cruz, Roger Wicker, and Joni Ernst introduced the Finish It Act in May—a legislative effort that would compel the federal government to utilize previously purchased and unutilized border wall panels for extending the border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border or transferring them to state governments for similar purposes.
Reportedly, the pace of GovPlanet’s auctions gained momentum in correlation with the introduction of the Finish It Act. Additionally, the recent passage of the annual defense appropriations package, which included Republican-sponsored provisions to recommence border wall construction, further amplified the urgency to offload the leftover border wall components.
Republican lawmakers expressed their concerns regarding the Biden administration’s perceived haste to liquidate these materials before corresponding legislation can be passed in the Republican-led House. Criticizing these actions as “wasteful and ludicrous,” Senator Roger Wicker deemed them “outrageous, behind-the-scenes maneuvering.” Senator Tom Cotton echoed these sentiments, illustrating the detrimental impact of selling security materials at a loss amidst ongoing border challenges.
The fallout from these actions also extended to voices in the House. Representative Elise Stefanik characterized the initial sale of border wall parts as “reckless,” decrying the ongoing surge of illegal immigration and its ramifications on national security.
In the face of these developments, Representative Juan Ciscomani expressed disappointment in President Biden’s “refusal to act,” emphasizing the need for the federal government to leverage all available tools to secure the nation’s borders. He criticized the squandering of these vital materials that could have been instrumental in addressing the border crisis.
Meanwhile, Representative Nicole Malliotakis underscored President Biden’s disregard for taxpayer dollars and the adverse consequences of the ongoing open-border situation. Her efforts are dedicated to preventing migrants from being housed in New York City parks and military sites, further highlighting the multifaceted impact of border-related decisions.