Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has expressed his intention for Texas to acquire and donate any sections of the border wall that are currently being auctioned off in Arizona. He stated that this action will be taken if it proves to be economically viable and beneficial for the incoming Trump administration.
On Friday, Patrick shared on his X account that the Texas Facilities Commission, responsible for constructing the Texas border wall, had examined sections of the Arizona border wall that were up for auction on Gov Planet, a government surplus auction site.
According to Patrick’s message on social media, the TFC stated that the materials being offered for sale were predominantly of poor quality, with most panels being covered in concrete and rust. While there were a few panels that could potentially be used, the cost of shipping them from Arizona to Texas would outweigh their value.
Patrick expressed his intention to acquire solar panels that are financially viable and offer them as a donation to President-elect Donald Trump upon his inauguration in January.
During a press conference with reporters on Monday, Trump requested the Biden administration to halt the sale of border wall materials. He further disclosed that discussions were underway with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton regarding the possibility of filing a restraining order against the administration. We reached out to the Attorney General’s office for comment but have not received a response at the time of writing.
Texas is committed to taking all necessary measures and making every effort to assist the president in securing the border. According to Patrick, the state will spare no expense in ensuring the safety and well-being of both the American people and the residents of Texas.
In a confident statement, he declared, “I have a billion dollars at my disposal to accomplish this task. I collaborate with Sen. Joan Huffman to draft the budget, and we have the necessary funds. Our budget for border security will amount to approximately $6 billion, and we will allocate it accordingly.”
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is offering her complete support to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in his pledge. Buckingham expressed her readiness to assist Patrick by providing storage space for the border fencing being auctioned off by the Biden-Harris Administration. She stated that the Texas General Land Office is prepared to help ensure the security of our southern border by storing the large sections of the border wall on state land from El Paso to the Rio Grande Valley.
Buckingham recently organized an event in November to commence the construction of a border wall on a 1,400-acre plot of land that the state had obtained along the border in Starr County. The Texas-funded border wall construction is ongoing, with the TFC announcing the successful completion of 50 miles of border wall construction this year.
As of December, the agency is also actively involved in the construction, completion, or pending construction of an additional 65.5 miles of border wall.