House Democrats overwhelmingly voted to block consideration for H.R. 2729, also known as the Finish the Wall Act, on Tuesday. The bill, introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), would have required the Department of Homeland Security to resume construction of border wall projects halted by the Biden administration and would prohibit the administration from canceling wall contracts entered into before Jan 20, 2021.
"This bill requires the secretary of Homeland Security to resume construction of the border wall within 24 hours of enactment using funds Congress has already appropriated to building the wall. The wall is more than just a fence," Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) said in support of the bill. "It includes sensors and technology Border Patrol needs to effectively hold the line. The agents I spoke to at the border are doing everything they can to stop illegal crossings, but they are overwhelmed and under-equipped. Now drug smugglers, human traffickers, gangs, and terrorists are taking full advantage of this vulnerability."
"We must protect our country, we must protect our people, we must finish the wall. This legislation would compel the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to do their jobs. The funding is there, the plans are there, the materials are there. All we lack is leadership from the Oval Office," said Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-NM).
FLOOR ALERT: Despite the worsening #BidenBorderCrisis, @HouseDemocrats refused to consider an obvious solution – resume construction of border wall projects canceled by @POTUS that are already paid for. #FinishTheWall pic.twitter.com/Csdy8zn2zy
— House Rules Republicans (@RulesReps) December 14, 2021
Ordering a halt on the construction of the new border wall system, started by former President Donald Trump, was one of the first acts done by Joe Biden when he became president. While some sectors along the U.S.-Mexico border had much of the construction done before the order, such as the El Paso Sector, others like the Rio Grande Valley Sector and Yuma Sector were not so lucky. As a result of the gaps, it has made it easier for people to illegally cross the southern border in large numbers, overwhelming Border Patrol.
In addition to gaps in the wall, other projects such as lights and sensors were also put on hold.
