Biden thwarts the law with border wall halt: House GOP

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee demanded an explanation Thursday from the new Homeland Security secretary about President Biden’s order to stop border wall construction, saying it “thwarts the will of Congress,” which just approved nearly $1.4 billion in new money for the project. Led by Rep. James Comer, the ranking Republican on the panel, the GOP lawmakers also wondered in their letter why Mr. Biden’s views had changed from 2006, when he enthusiastically backed construction of 700 miles of double-tier border fence — far more than has been built under Mr. Trump. At the time, Mr. Biden said walls could prevent “tons” of drugs from being smuggled in. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee demanded an explanation Thursday from the new Homeland Security secretary about President Biden’s order to stop border wall construction, saying it “thwarts the will of Congress,” which just approved nearly $1.4 billion in new money for the project. Led by Rep. James Comer, the ranking Republican on the panel, the GOP lawmakers also wondered in their letter why Mr. Biden’s views had changed from 2006, when he enthusiastically backed construction of 700 miles of double-tier border fence — far more than has been built under Mr. Trump. At the time, Mr. Biden said walls could prevent “tons” of drugs from being smuggled in. The Republicans asked new Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to turn over all documents related to Mr. Biden’s new construction halt, and asked for the department’s plans to keep the border secure in areas where wall-building is now on track to be canceled. And the Republicans asked for a full accounting of the money spent, and what remains, from what Congress approved for wall construction this year and the previous three fiscal years...MORE