A fence is being put up around the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday, despite Democrats halting construction of the wall at the southern border.
The Biden administration and congressional Democrats called the southern border wall costly and ineffective, as well as a sign of xenophobia, and have strongly opposed construction of a barrier to control the influx of illegal migrants pouring into the U.S. from countries like Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.
Biden is expected to give his second State of the Union address at the Capitol on the House floor, where most members of Congress in the House and Senate will attend in-person. Despite objections by Democrats to a barrier on the southern border, a large fence started being constructed Sunday around the Capitol complex.
Republicans say Biden must address the number of crises that developed over the past year, including the migrant crisis at the southern border.
The fence is not the first wall to be built for the president's protection.
AT STATE OF THE UNION, BIDEN HAS 3 BIG FAILURES HE MUST OWN WHEN HE ADDRESSES NATION
Biden recently began construction of a wall around his Delaware vacation home, which is expected to cost taxpayers $490,324 because it is being funded through a government contract via the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
"There will not be another foot of wall construction in my administration," Biden said during an interview while campaigning for the 2020 presidential election.
After declaring "not another foot" would be built at the border, the Biden administration approved resuming construction of the border wall along Yuma, Arizona, in July 2022.
