Lt. Governor says Texas may purchase border wall material auctioned by federal government
AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Texas will buy any pieces of border wall that are being auctioned off in Arizona and donate it to the incoming Trump administration if it makes "economic sense."
Patrick posted to his X account on Friday that the Texas Facilities Commission, the agency in charge of building the Texas border wall, had reviewed parts of the Arizona border wall that were being auctioned off on an auction site that specializes in government surplus, Gov Planet.
The TFC said the materials up for sale were "mostly junk, with most panels covered in concrete and rust. There were a few panels that might be usable but not worth the cost of shipping to Texas from Arizona," according to Patrick's message on social media.
Patrick said the state will purchase any panels that "make economic sense" and donate them to President-elect Donald Trump when he takes over office in January.
"Make no mistake. Texas will make every effort, do whatever it takes, to assist the president and we're going to secure this border once and for all for the people of America and Texas," Patrick said on Fox News.
He added, "I've got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it. I write the budget with Sen. Joan Huffman. We have the money. We're going to have about $6 billion in our budget for border security, we'll buy it."
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is fully supporting Patrick's promise. In a statement to Nexstar, Buckingham said, ”I stand fully prepared to help Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick if he buys the border fencing being auctioned off by the Biden-Harris Administration. I have places to store the large sections of border wall if he should need that — on state land along the border from El Paso to the Rio Grande Valley. The Texas General Land Office is standing by to help ensure our southern border is secure.”
Buckingham recently held an event in November to kick off the construction of border wall on a 1,400-acre piece of land the state had acquired along the border in Starr County.