GOP senator moves to stop feds from removing border wall materials amid auction backlash

FIRST ON FOX: A top Republican Senator is introducing legislation to block the federal government from removing border wall materials after a controversy over the auction of pieces of the border wall made headlines again.

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is introducing legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds “to deconstruct, dismantle or render inoperable any segment of the physical barrier along the international border between the United States and Mexico.”

The bill would also prohibit the use of funds “to auction, sell, transfer, or dispose of any materials or supplies purchased or otherwise acquired by the federal government for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, or reinforcing a physical barrier along ‘this border.’

‘BEING TO HELP’: RED STATE REVEALS PLAN TO BUY BORDER WALL MATERIALS AT AUCTION TO STORAGE FOR TRUMP

The bill responds to the ongoing controversy over the Biden administration’s auction of border wall materials.

The Biden administration ended abruptly construction of the border wall in January 2021 after 450 miles had been built during the first Trump administration.

The auction of parts of the border wall began in 2023 with pieces going up for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department’s logistics agency told the media that the excess material had been released for disposal by the Army Corps of Engineers and was for sale.

Those auctions have continued, with Arizona officials telling Fox News Digital that the auctions have been happening weekly for some time. The practice made headlines last week when The Daily Wire published a video showing unused wall pieces being transported on flatbed trucks to Arizona, even though the materials could be used by the incoming Trump administration.

A furious President-elect Trump called the moves “almost a criminal act” and called on President Biden to “please stop selling the wall.”

TRUMP CALLS FOR BORDER WALL AUCTIONS: “GAY GAY CRIMINAL ACT”

The president-elect also said he is working Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas leaders to reacquire the materials.

“What they’re doing is really an act, it’s almost a criminal act,” he said. “They know we’re going to use it, and if we don’t have it, we’re going to have to rebuild it. And it’s going to cost twice what it cost years ago, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars because you’re talking about a lot, a lot of wall.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

A defense official told Fox News last week that the Pentagon has been eliminating excess wall construction under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024, which required Defense Secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased. with Pentagon funds. This plan was presented in March.

The official said that border states, including Texas, had priority for the materials and that the materials no longer belong to the US government, adding that the Defense Department has no legal authority to recover the material or stop its resale. .

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“Through our reuse, transfer and donation process, nearly 60 percent of these materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including US Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GovPlanet’s online auctions no longer belongs to the US Government and the DOD has no legal authority to take back material or stop further resale of material it no longer has.”

Hagerty’s bill would replace any existing law, including the NDAA. His office says the NDAA provision was intended to encourage construction of the border wall.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.