House Republicans vowed to pass legislation to revive former president Donald Trump’s border wall if they retake the majority in 2022.
“I think we need to look at every possible tool,” said House Conference Committee Chairwoman Liz Cheney when asked what Republicans would do to address the ongoing immigration crisis.
“That includes the wall, and it includes technology and being able to move again toward agreements where people who are seeking asylum stay in Mexico,” she added, according to the Washington Examiner.
President Joe Biden halted the construction of the southern border wall when he took office, leaving gaps with construction materials laying around and workers idled.
However, the Department of Homeland Security is reportedly considering finishing construction to fill in the “gaps” in the barrier that migrants are exploiting.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials where he submitted a plan indicating where the wall needs work, according to the Washington Times.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said Biden’s pause is a waste of taxpayer dollars.
“We’ve already purchased the materials,” he said. “They’re already sitting on the job site, and we are paying the contractors, now, to not build the wall.”
One senior DHS official said the Biden administration is paying as much as $6 million a day to not finish construction.
Federal money is still flowing to the project, the official explained, and contractors are still being paid for rental expenses or cost of ownership while their equipment sits idle.
Trump urged Biden to allow the border wall project to move forward.
“A lot of damage was done because we were gonna have that wall almost complete,” Trump said. “You know, it delayed two and a half years because of lawsuits.”
“We started building it and we were almost finished and then they called an end to it. And it’s, you know, just incredible,” he continued. “But if they agree that they’re going to complete it — there’s very little to complete. If they agree that they’re going to complete it, that’s a great thing. That’s a very positive step.”
