Pro Publica reports that the Department of Homeland Security was only able to scrape together $20 million in funding that could be redirected for a border wall. That funding is currently being used to pay for the design and construction of small prototypes.
We already knew that, but Pro Publica also reports that construction of a wall could not begin for at least two years even if Congress fully funded the project tomorrow.
And, by the way, land acquisition may cost more than the wall.
If the money eventually comes through, it will take two years to start construction, said Mark Borkowski, the agency’s chief procurement official.
Other factors could also throw off the schedule. The cost of obtaining land along the Texas border, which is largely in private hands, and in California, where real estate is expensive, could in some cases cost more than the wall itself.
Borkowski said he also anticipates the possibility of bid protests filed by competitors who believe they were unfairly denied contracts.
For those doing the math, this means Democrats have an opportunity to retake control of Congress and ensure that this never happens.
The prospect of actually building Trump's fantasy border wall is already on shaky ground as Congress is not going to fund it until at least fiscal 2018 at the earliest, meaning construction would not begin until nearly 2020, but we can't afford to leave anything to chance. It's long past time for people who believe in responsible governance to stop taking it for granted.
If you live in certain congressional districts, you may have an opportunity to vote sooner rather than later. A special election for Georgia's 6th congressional district will be held on Tuesday.
It's also imperative that we elect state lawmakers and governors who will oppose Trump and oppose the GOP long after he's gone.