Among President Joe Biden’s first acts upon taking office was his move to pause construction of the wall along the U.S.–Mexico border long championed by his predecessor.
Critics say that decision by Biden has helped to facilitate an influx of undocumented migrants. Now, two states whose voters went for former President Donald Trump last November are seeking to have it reversed.
According to Fox News, Texas and Missouri filed suit in federal court on Thursday alleging that the Biden administration has a duty to spend the federal funds that have already been allocated for the border wall.
Lawsuit: Wall funds must be spent
A statement released by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) explained that “Congress specifically appropriated $1.375 billion for ‘construction of barrier system along the southwest border.'”
Schmitt went on to point out that the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 provides that “the designated amount ‘shall only be available for barrier systems.'”
“Time and again, the Biden administration has refused to take concrete action to quell the worsening border crisis, inviting the cartels and human drug smugglers to take advantage of our porous border,” Schmitt said, according to Fox.
“Without a border wall, illegal immigrants, coyotes, and bad actors can simply march across our southern border and into the interior,” he added.
“The border wall needs to be built, the funds have been appropriated to continue to build the wall, and yet the Biden Administration outright refuses to do so,” the Missouri AG concluded.
Texas AG to Biden: “See you in court”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is also a party in the suit. “The Biden Administration’s flat refusal to use funds that have already been set aside by Congress to build the border wall is not only illegal and unconstitutional,” Paxton said, as Fox reported.
“It’s also wrong, and it leaves states like Texas and Missouri footing the bill,” Paxton added, promising that he “will not sit idly by while this Administration wreaks more havoc on our state.”
Paxton reiterated his stance at a press conference Thursday. “I’ll just say to the President of the United States, ‘Let’s go Brandon!’ We’ll see you in court,” the AG said, according to Fox.
The phrase “Let’s go Brandon” has grown in popularity among conservatives in recent weeks and has often been used as a humorous alternative to the more profane chant, “F*** Joe Biden,” after the former was spun by an NBC reporter as cover for the latter being heard in a live interview.
The post Republican AGs in Texas, Missouri file suit to force Biden admin to continue work on border wall first appeared on Conservative Institute.
No comments: