Republicans on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee wrote to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) this week demanding that all sales of border wall construction materials be halted, and accused the department of brazenly attempting to circumvent Congressional decisions.
At the heart of the outcry was the FINISH It Act, an addition to the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that forced unused border wall panels already owned by the U.S. government to be used to extend the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. That legislation ultimately passed both chambers of Congress, but Republicans led by U.S. Sen. Roger Ricker (R-MS) reported that the DOD subsequently moved to dispose of the parts before provisions of the FINISH It Act could be implemented.
Wicker, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped lead the inclusion of the FINISH It Act in the first place.
“We are deeply disappointed to learn that rather than using construction materials that were purchased to secure the southwest border for that purpose, the Department of Defense has begun auctioning these materials off for other purposes,” the senators wrote. “These auctions represent a brazen attempt to circumvent the FINISH IT Act, which was included in both the House and Senate FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act.”
Writing to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Wicker and his colleagues demanded not only a halt to further auctions, but an accounting of current sales and the launch of an investigation by the DOD Inspector General into Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Melissa Dalton. They charged her with failing to provide Congress with accurate and timely information about the use of border wall construction materials.
The Senate Armed Service Committee Republicans also pledged not to allow a confirmation hearing for any Under Secretary of Defense for Policy nominees until their letter is answered appropriately.