Build the Wall Now Act
Latest action · Mar 22, 2023 Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 14, 2023
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Build the Wall Now Act
This bill resumes the construction of, and modifies the requirements for, a physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must, within one day of the bill's enactment, resume any project related to the construction of such barriers (and any related infrastructure), and DHS may not cancel any contracts related to such construction that were entered into on or before January 20, 2021. Additionally, funds already appropriated for such construction must remain available until expended.
The bill also modifies the requirements for the physical barriers along the southern border and requires DHS to consult with the labor organization representing border patrol agents about the safety and effectiveness of the agents deployed in the vicinity of the barriers.
Finally, the bill exempts these construction projects from certain legal requirements, including requirements stemming from the Administrative Procedure Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the federal laws regarding public contracts.
Cosponsors 19
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 14, 2023 to Sep 26, 2023; 14 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-FL | Anna Paulina Luna | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-TX | Beth Van Duyne | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-FL | Bill Posey | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-TX | Brian Babin | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-NC | Dan Bishop | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-TX | Dan Crenshaw | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-NY | George Santos | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-SC | Jeff Duncan | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| D-NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-TX | Lance Gooden | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-IA | Mariannette Miller-Meeks | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-IL | Mary E. Miller | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-FL | Vern Buchanan | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-TX | Wesley Hunt | Original | Feb 14, 2023 |
| R-TX | Keith Self | Feb 17, 2023 | |
| R-TX | Ronny Jackson | Feb 17, 2023 | |
| R-SC | Russell Fry | Feb 17, 2023 | |
| R-FL | W. Gregory Steube | Feb 17, 2023 | |
| R-SC | William R. Timmons IV | Sep 26, 2023 |
Committees 9
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Homeland Security Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Feb 15, 2023 | |
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| Federal Lands Subcommittee | Referred Mar 22, 2023 | |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| Environment Subcommittee | Referred Feb 24, 2023 | |
| House | Transportation and Infrastructure Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| House | Armed Services Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| House | Agriculture Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee | Referred Mar 13, 2023 | |
| House | Small Business Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
| House | Oversight and Government Reform Committee | Referred Feb 14, 2023 |
Actions 6
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 22, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
- Mar 13, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry.
- Feb 24, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials.
- Feb 15, 2023Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
- Feb 14, 2023Introduced in House
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 169, no. 30, February 14, 2023, page H840.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 422 | Build the Wall Now Act | Identical bill | Feb 14, 2023 |
| HR 1531 | To provide for the renewed availability of funds to construct the border wall upon the deployment of the National Guard to the southern land border of the United States, and for other purposes. | Related bill | Mar 13, 2023 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To remove legal impediments preventing construction of a border barrier along the international border between the United States and Mexico, improve the construction requirements for such barrier, make previously appropriated funds available for constructing such barrier until expended, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Build the Wall Now Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 14, 2023Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
