Officials in Texas say they are preparing to buy and store border wall materials auctioned off by the federal government and store them until the Trump administration takes office in January.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick responds to reports about ongoing bids for border wall materials. which was abandoned near the border Following the sudden halt of border wall construction in 2021
“I will bid on that entire wall. And we’ll buy it in Texas. And we will give it to Donald Trump,” Patrick said on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“I have a billion dollars in my pocket to do this,” he said.
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Former President Donald Trump delivers a speech during a campaign rally at Cobb Energy Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 2, 15, 2024 in Atlanta. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
His comments were supported by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who said she He is “fully prepared” to help in this effort.
“If you buy it I have a place to store it — on government land! The (Texas Land Office) is here to help!” she said, calling the bid for extrawall materials by the Biden administration “shameful.”
The Biden administration abruptly halted border wall construction in January 2021, 450 miles after it was built in the first Trump administration. Border hawks, though, say the wall is an important tool in stopping illegal immigration. But some Democrats say the wall project is xenophobic and ineffective.
REPUBLICAN HOUSE REGULATORS INVESTIGATING BIDEN ADMINISTRATOR’S BORDER WALL SALE: ‘WASTE AND ABUSE’
A still from this video shows border wall construction in Del Rio, Texas. (Office of Governor Greg Abbott)
The Off-The-Walls auction begins in 2023, with items listed for sale on GovPlanet.com which is an online auction market The Ministry of Defense’s logistics agency told the media that The excess material was handed over for disposal by the Army Corps of Engineers. and is now on sale
Those auctions are still ongoing. Officials in Arizona told Fox News Digital that the auction has been happening every week for some time. The practice drew attention last week when The Daily Wire published a video showing unused siding pieces being transported on a flatbed truck in Arizona. Although such materials could be used in the next Trump administration.
Donald Trump President-elect of the United States Promises to restart border wall construction When he takes office next month He said of the sale of this wall: It was “almost a criminal act” on Monday. and appealed to the administration to stop the sale of wall pieces.
Defense officials told Fox News that the Pentagon has eliminated surplus wall construction in accordance with the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a plan to use, transfer, or donate all surplus wall material purchased. with Pentagon funds. The plan was submitted in March.
Officials said the border state Including Texas Receive special rights to use materials Both Texas and California requested and received border documents, they said.
“Through the reuse, transfer and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials are transferred to authorized recipients. Including United States Customs and Border Protection. Texas and California,” officials said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GOVPLANET under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. Content sold through GOVPLANET online auctions is no longer owned by the U.S. government and the DoD. Defense does not have legal authority to recall the content or stop further. Reselling materials it no longer owns.”
Click here for more information on the border security crisis.
Texas has shown that it is eager to help the incoming administration try to secure the border and is involved in a mass deportation campaign.
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Fox News Digital first reported last month that Texas had offered 1,400 acres of land to the incoming administration to process mass deportations. Border Czar Thomas Homan said he was already planning efficient land use.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
