Biden 'Under Investigation' by GAO Over Border Wall Funding
Democrat probed over halting billions of dollars in payments for construction
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Joe Biden is reportedly "under investigation" by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over billions of dollars in border wall funding that was halted when he stopped construction, according to reports.
The probe is looking into payments that were set to go out to companies that were tasked with finishing President Donald Trump’s wall along the Southern Border.
“Now the Government Accountability Office is launching a review to determine whether the new president broke the law by freezing the money in violation of budget rules designed to keep Congress in control of the cash flow,” Politico reported.
“The probe highlights the challenge presidents have historically faced in fulfilling campaign promises that require money to be spent — or suspended — at odds with Congress’ intent.”
The report comes as Biden’s pro-migration policies have overwhelmed the U.S.-Mexico border.
Biden's border crisis is prompting a backlash against his administration from Republicans, Democrats, and even the migrants themselves.
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According to The Daily Wire, forty Senate Republicans said in a letter to the Government Accountability Office that in “the weeks that followed” Biden suspending construction of the border wall, “operational control of our southern border was comprised and a humanitarian and national security crisis has ensued.”
The letter added:
The President’s actions directly contributed to this unfortunate, yet entirely avoidable, scenario.
They are also a blatant violation of federal law and infringe on Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. We write regarding these actions.
We believe they violated the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), as interpreted by your office, and we request your legal opinion on the matter.
Prompt action to end these violations is required to restore order at the border.
More than 60 Republican House lawmakers joined their Senate colleagues on Tuesday in pushing the GAO to investigate the matter.
The lawmakers wrote:
We are writing to be added as co-requesters of a March 17, 2021 letter, signed by 40 United States Senators, requesting the Government Accountability Office’s investigation and legal opinion on the actions of the Biden Administration to suspend border wall construction and to order a freeze of funds provided by Congress for that purpose, which we believe violated the Impoundment Control Act.
Politico’s report said that it would be unlikely that Biden faces any formal punishment for his actions if the GAO found that Biden illegally paused border wall funding.
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The news comes as the southern border has become overwhelmed under Biden’s leadership after the president reversed numerous policies put in place by the Trump administration.
In at least one sector on the U.S. border, the Biden administration has started to release illegal border crossers into the U.S. without scheduling any kind of a court date for the migrants.
Recent reports have indicated that there are more than 15,000 unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody, which is nearly twice as high as the previous record.
The Washington Post recently highlighted how the Biden administration was repeatedly warned that a crisis would erupt on the border if they undid Trump’s policies—a warning that came from career officials, not just political appointees.
