(DCWatchdog.com) – In a massive turn of events, Joe Biden expressed the need to construct a new border wall, even if he claims his decision is based on existing congressional laws that mandate the spending of billions of dollars on the barrier’s creation.
In a statement from the White House, President Biden remarked, “The money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate, to redirect that money. They didn’t. They wouldn’t.” He added, “In the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated for. I can’t stop that.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the urgent necessity to advance the construction of border walls and related roads. To expedite the process, he issued an order overriding 26 existing laws.
In response, Chad Wolf, who served as the acting homeland security secretary during President Trump’s tenure, commented on the conflicting perspectives between the urgency expressed by Mayorkas and President Biden’s skepticism about the wall’s utility. “They’re seeing crossings in that Rio Grande Valley area that they’ve never seen before, and they don’t have a solution,” he added.
Mark Morgan, who previously acted as the Customs and Border Protection commissioner, believes Biden aims to enjoy the advantages of the wall’s construction while maintaining an opposing stance. He expressed, “They get to say, ‘Oh no, walls don’t work, but we have to build it.’ Meanwhile, they get to tell their Democratic colleagues, ‘Look what we’re doing,'” Morgan said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed her disapproval of the construction plans, describing them as “cruel.” She urged the president to reconsider his decision, stating, “The Biden administration was not required to expand construction of the border wall — and they certainly were not required to waive several environmental laws to expedite the building.” She emphasized that President Biden should take accountability for this decision.
Despite the debate, Biden is backtracking on his previous campaign commitment to avoid further wall construction. This was in contrast to President Trump’s primary campaign pledge and ultimate accomplishment of building 450 miles of barrier.
