Washington, D.C. -Today, during a hearing before the National Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on President Trump’s border wall proposal, Chairman Ron DeSantis (R-FL) dismissed President Trump’s campaign promise to build a border wall along the entire 2,000-mile southern U.S. border.
“A couple things that we got from the hearing: we’re not talking about a 2,000 mile wall. It’s going to be basically finishing the job of the 2006 Secure Fence Act," DeSantis said.
The bipartisan Secure Fence Act of 2006 authorized the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the southern border of the United States, most of which has been built. The law also authorized the increased use of advanced surveillance technology and created additional vehicle barriers, checkpoints and lighting to help prevent unauthorized border crossings.
The Chairman’s statement came at the end of the hearing during which three witnesses, including two invited by the Majority, also questioned the necessity and wisdom of a 2,000 mile border wall.
Seth Stodder, a former border protection official under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, testified:
“A wall’s not going to help us with any of the most pressing challenges we face at the border. Back in the 1970’s Senator Proxmire used to hand out what he called the “Golden Fleece Award" to highlight wasteful federal spending. I can’t think of any program that would make Senator Proxmire more proud than the border wall-the ultimate ‘golden fleece’ for American taxpayers with billions going to contractors seeking to build a wall that will provide no security benefit to the American people."
Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents more than 18,000 border patrol agents, said: “I will not advocate for 2,000 miles worth of border [wall]…"
Dr. Steven Camarota, Director of Research for the conservative Center for Immigration Studies said: “I certainly don’t think we need a giant wall across the whole border."
In August of last year when asked how he would build a 1,900-mile wall, President Trump said it would be “very easy," because he is “a builder."
