Biden to build more US border wall using Trump-era funds
Biden to build more US border wall using Trump-era funds
Biden to build more US border wall using Trump-era funds
President Joe Biden's administration said on Thursday it will add sections to a border wall to stave off record migrant crossings from Mexico, carrying forward a signature policy of former President Donald Trump.
Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination to challenge Biden, a Democrat, in the 2024 presidential race. Trump made building border barriers a central tenet of his first campaign for president with the rally chant, "Build That Wall."
One of Biden's first actions after taking office in January 2021 was to issue a proclamation pledging that "no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall" as well as a review of all resources that had already been committed.
The administration said Thursday's action did not deviate from Biden's proclamation because money that was allocated during Trump's term in 2019 had to be spent now.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that there was "no new Administration policy with respect to border walls. From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer."
Mayorkas said the construction project was appropriated during the prior administration and the law requires the government to use the funds, with an announcement made earlier in the year. "We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money but it has not done so and we are compelled to follow the law," he said.
"because money that was allocated during Trump's term in 2019 had to be spent now."
"the law requires the government to use the funds"
"We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money but it has not done so and we are compelled to follow the law,"
You had them highlighted but I'm putting them here again Incase someone glosses over it. I saw this story on Instagram and the comments section was, as you could guess, woefully ignorant and incredibly toxic.
I wonder how specific the budget item was. I would have tried to see if they could rebuild existing wall, or maybe the parts around existing border checkpoints.
Well, he said he tried multiple times to get reallocate it with no luck, so I assume it was pretty specific.
What I'm seeing here is that Democrats could have rescinded the funds when they had a majority, but didn't feel like it.
Contracts were already signed. I'm sure it was much more complicated than your explanation of essentially, "meh"