Why Is the Biden Administration Selling Border Wall Materials?

The Biden Administration’s sale of border wall materials raises more questions than it answers—why auction materials off just to approve new wall construction?

At a Glance

Biden administration sells unused border wall materials before approving new construction.
GovPlanet auctions materials like steel tubing for tens of thousands.
Colossal criticism from Republicans questioning the waste of taxpayer money.
Massive procedural contrasts as some wall construction is still moving forward.

Policy Shift or Publicity Stunt?

The Biden administration has been auctioning off unused border wall materials even as it greenlights a new 20-mile stretch. You read that right—selling what isn’t used just to build more! Unused materials including iron and steel wall tubing are being scooped up on GovPlanet, a surplus site, but at what cost to taxpayers? The Department of Homeland Security okayed new construction along the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Why the contradiction?

Some defend this decision, citing necessity due to pre-approved 2019 funding deadlines that mandate border projects be completed in 2023. Nevertheless, Republicans lambast the auctions as wasted taxpayer resources, with complaints extending to the sales’ timing and location in Red Rock, Arizona. A deeper dive into the current state of border security is due—it’s more urgent now than ever.

Secretary Mayorkas has said he supports ending construction of border wall system taxpayers have already paid to build, and which Border Patrol agents say they need.

This is unacceptable. https://t.co/DQPkvPuJ5T

— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) January 11, 2024

Financial and Practical Implications

One irony here is President Biden, who was once adamantly against further wall construction, now watching as border wall materials are disposed via a financial ‘reset.’ “Not another foot of wall would be constructed,” he vowed. Fast forward to today, nearly half a million dollars were made from metal sales alone, funneling back to the Pentagon’s kitty. Republicans’ Finish It Act was meant to ensure materials were used or given to states, but all this seems rushed.

“The Biden administration’s decision to sell already purchased border materials is a waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars” – James Comer

Senators accuse the sales of having been strategically timed, slipping past potential legislative snags. They further argue open borders strain city budgets already overwhelmed by migrant surges. Yet here we stand—with leftover materials from halted 2021 projects being siphoned at auctions for what amounts to political posturing.

A Tattered Border Strategy

This absurd saga leaves us questioning if there ever was a coherent border strategy. On one hand, selling off materials aligns with Biden’s verbal rejection of border defense through walls. On the other, practically abandoning these assets is hardly pragmatic. As claims fly from Sen. Tom Cotton, “Leaving the border open to terrorists while selling border security materials at a loss is Bidenomics in a nutshell.” So, dear readers, draw your own conclusions…is it economic savvy or simply a hasty blunder?

Such puzzling policy decisions have led to a House Oversight Committee investigation over the material sales, sparking a legislative clash ripe for political theater. Patriots, let’s place these leaders under the magnifying glass and see if the answers justify the seemingly incoherent execution of border security.