🏗️Army Corps awards $70 million border wall contract bypassing competitive bidding
National Security
Tax & Budget
In March 2025, Trump awarded the first border wall contract of his second term - $70 million for 7 miles in Texas. With plans for 85 miles this year and hundreds more by 2026, this signature policy directly affects immigration enforcement, local communities, and how your federal taxes are spent.
Review Topic
Test your knowledge with interactive questions
10 questions
5:00
16 available
Key Takeaways
Influential Figures
No influential figures found.
Some topics may not have prominent individuals directly associated.
Why This Matters
💰 Congressional appropriations from 2021 fund 2025 construction despite Biden cancellations
Granite Construction receives $70 million using fiscal year 2021 money that Biden chose not to spend. This demonstrates how unspent appropriations remain available for future presidents to use, allowing Trump to restart construction without new congressional authorization or budget battles.
🏗️ Texas border counties receive federal infrastructure while other regions face cuts
Hidalgo County gets seven miles of new barrier worth $10 million per mile while federal transportation, education, and social programs face massive reductions. The spending priorities reveal how border construction receives protection from budget austerity applied elsewhere in government.
🏢 Private contractors profit from multi-decade border security industrial complex
Granite Construction and other firms have earned billions from border barrier contracts spanning Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. The revolving door of construction cancellations and restarts guarantees steady revenue streams for defense contractors regardless of which party controls Washington.
⚖️ Senator Katie Britt's $25 billion WALL Act faces impossible Senate math
The Alabama Republican's proposal requires 60 votes to overcome filibusters in an evenly divided chamber. However, existing appropriations allow substantial construction without new legislation, demonstrating how executive branch implementation often matters more than congressional authorization.
What Others Are Asking
No Questions Yet
Be the first to ask
Detailed Content
1
Which company received the first border wall contract of Trump's second term?
Multiple Choice
Government
2
In which Texas county is the first new border wall contract being built?
Multiple Choice
Public Policy
3
How many executive orders did Trump sign related to border security that authorize wall construction?
Multiple Choice
Constitutional Law
4
How many miles of new border wall does the Trump administration plan to build in 2025?
Multiple Choice
Government
5
Who is the Border Patrol Chief who said "Our absolute intent is to build as much wall as we need"?
Multiple Choice
Civic Action
6
How much funding does Senator Katie Britt's WALL Act propose for border wall completion?
Multiple Choice
Constitutional Law
7
8
How many additional miles of border barriers would Border Patrol officials like to add in coming years?
Multiple Choice
Civic Action
10
How many Marines and sailors have been deployed to assist border operations?
Multiple Choice
Constitutional Law
11
What does Border Patrol Chief Banks want to expand in the Rio Grande River?
Multiple Choice
Civic Action
12
The first border wall contract is funded with 2021 fiscal year money from CBP.
True/False
Government
13
During Trump's first term, 458 miles of border wall were completed.
True/False
Public Policy
14
The Hidalgo County contract costs approximately $10 million per mile of border wall.
True/False
Public Policy
15
Former President Biden froze funding for the border wall program when he took office.
True/False
Constitutional Law