Ernst: Biden Fueling the Border Crisis by Unlawfully Suspending Border Wall Funding, Construction

WASHINGTON—Amid the rapidly escalating crisis along the southern border, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined her colleagues in highlighting President Joe Biden’s suspension of border wall funding and construction without lawful justification, as required by the Impoundment Control Act.

 

In a letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene L. Dorado, Ernst and her colleagues write, “ On January 20th, in one of the first official acts of his presidency, Joseph Biden suspended border wall construction and ordered a freeze of funds provided by Congress for that purpose. In the weeks that followed, operational control of our southern border was compromised and a humanitarian and national security crisis has ensued.”

 

They go on to write: “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 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.”

 

To read the full letter, click here.

 

Background:

Last week, Senator Ernst published an op-ed outlining the border crisis as both a humanitarian one and threat to U.S. national security and urged President Biden and his administration to acknowledge the border crisis.

 

As the lead Republican on the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, Ernst highlighted the importance of defending the border against the threat of Transnational Criminal Organizations and other nefarious influencers—including Iran, Russia, and China—and called on her colleagues to work together to secure the border.