Biden says he couldn’t divert funds for miles of a US-Mexico border wall, but doesn’t think it works

By COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is defending his administration’s decision to waive 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow for construction of roughly 20 miles of U.S.-Mexico border wall. He says he had no choice but to use the funding for the work. Biden told reporters on Thursday that the money was “appropriated for the border wall. I can’t stop that.” The money was appropriated in 2019, before Biden took office. Biden said he tried to get Congress to redirect the money but it refused. The the law requires the funding to be used as appropriated and the construction to be completed in 2023.