Biden's Ukraine Aid & Border Wall Sale Paused | 12.31.24

Summary

Morning Wire Episode Summary: "Biden's Ukraine Aid & Border Wall Sale Paused | 12.31.24"

Release Date: December 31, 2024
Host/Author: The Daily Wire – John Bickley and Georgia Howe

---

1. President Biden’s Final Ukraine Aid Package

Overview: As President Biden nears the end of his term, he has authorized a substantial aid package to Ukraine amidst ongoing congressional debates over the debt ceiling. This move is seen as a strategic effort to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities before the incoming administration takes office.

Key Points:

• Aid Details: The latest assistance package amounts to approximately $6 billion, comprising $2.5 billion in security assistance (including artillery, weapons, and air defense systems) and $3.4 billion in budgetary aid from the Treasury Department. This brings the total aid under Biden to around $175 billion.

• Strategic Implications: Biden’s aggressive funding approach is perceived as an attempt to strengthen Ukraine’s position permanently, potentially limiting the incoming administration’s ability to redirect funds.

Notable Quotes:

• Georgia Howe (00:03): "President Biden rushes more aid to Ukraine as another debt ceiling battle in Congress takes shape."
• Tim Rice (02:06): “...Biden is trying to send as much money as possible to Ukraine before Trump takes office and has a chance to turn off the hose.”
• Tim Rice (02:34): “In his statement announcing the grant, Biden pretty much admits to this. He said he's directed his administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible.”

Impact on the Incoming Administration: The extensive aid package positions Trump favorably, as both he and his ally J.D. Vance have pledged to reduce aid to Ukraine—a central campaign promise. However, this substantial transfer of funds complicates negotiations on the debt ceiling, especially for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faces internal party pressures.

Notable Quotes:

• Tim Rice (03:17): “Trump and J.D. Vance campaigned on reducing aid to Ukraine and have consistently criticized Biden for doing stuff like this.”

• Tim Rice (04:00): “Trump has called for the ridiculous debt ceiling to be extended to 2029 or eliminated outright, which is a deal breaker for budget hawks like Senator Rand Paul and members of the Freedom Caucus.”

Political Ramifications: House Speaker Mike Johnson, who narrowly retains his position with Trump’s endorsement, faces scrutiny over his compromises on Ukraine funding. Despite the assistance being allocated to Zelenskyy irrespective of Johnson’s approval, the optics have strained his leadership within the Republican caucus.

Notable Quotes:

• Tim Rice (04:26): “Some of Johnson's critics have slammed his willingness to compromise with Democrats on Ukraine funding.”

---

2. Trump’s Legal Victory on Border Wall Material Sales

Overview: In a significant legal triumph for former President Trump, the Biden administration has agreed to halt the sale of border wall materials, following a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. This decision prevents the administration from continuing to liquidate materials intended for the border wall, ensuring they remain available for future construction under the Trump administration.

Key Points:

• Legal Agreement: The Biden administration has paused the sale of border wall materials for 30 days, aligning with Trump’s inauguration timeline. This pause is enforced by a court order, which threatens sanctions should the administration violate the agreement.

• Historical Context: Since 2023, the administration had been auctioning off bollards and concrete initially allocated for the wall, a practice now under legal scrutiny for potentially violating the 2021 injunction aimed at preserving these materials for wall construction.

Notable Quotes:

• Georgia Howe (06:29): “Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the legal battle over the border wall. So Tim, what's the latest on this case?”
• Tim Pierce (07:25): “He [Trump] posted a statement on his social media platform Truth Social, calling the agreement a major crucial win for America and our national security.”

Trump’s Reaction: Trump lauded the court's decision as a pivotal victory for national security, emphasizing his intent to utilize the reclaimed materials to safeguard the nation against various threats, including violent migrant crime and fentanyl smuggling.

Notable Quotes:

• Trump via Tim Pierce (07:25): “...protect our country from violent migrant crime, fentanyl smuggling, sex trafficking, terror attacks and other heinous nation-ending disasters.”

Legislative Intent vs. Administration Actions: Originally, the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act mandated that any surplus border wall materials be either used for wall construction or sold at fair market value to border states. However, the administration’s subsequent decisions to sell these materials at significantly reduced prices have been criticized by Republicans as undermining the legislation’s intent.

Notable Quotes:

• Tim Pierce (08:02): “Republicans say it wasn't supposed to be a fire sale, just to liquidate the materials, which is what ended up happening.”

Future Implications: Trump and his allies, including border czar Tom Homan, have vowed to pursue accountability against any bureaucrats perceived as obstructing the border security agenda, signaling potential internal conflicts within federal agencies.

Notable Quotes:

• Tom Homan (09:01): “God help them, because we'll be looking for those bad actors...”

---

3. Federal Union’s Shift on Telework Amid Trump’s Agenda

Overview: A significant internal conflict has emerged within the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal union representing approximately 750,000 employees. The union's recent decision to reduce telework privileges for its own operatives contradicts its longstanding advocacy for remote work among federal employees, raising questions about its commitment to public service versus internal operational demands.

Key Points:

• Policy Change: AFGE has mandated that its full-time staff return to the office at least four days a week, limiting telework options that the union has previously championed for federal employees.

• Internal Hypocrisy: The move has been criticized as hypocritical, given the union's prior efforts to secure extensive remote work for its constituents. AFGE employees have even filed grievances against Union President Everett Kelly, arguing that the decision undermines the union’s public stance on telework.

Notable Quotes:

• Luke Rosiak (09:44): “The AFGE's in-house employees actually have their own union representing them against AFGE management. And they have filed a grievance against AFGE President Everett Kelly.”

• Luke Rosiak (10:36): “Now, one of the big parts of what's keeping them so busy is fighting for federal employees to keep working from home, often four days or more at home.”

Impact on Trump’s Administration: This internal union shift poses a potential obstacle for Trump’s plans to reform the federal workforce. With many federal employees enjoying remote work arrangements, consolidating administrative control and enforcing workforce mobilization could be challenging.

Notable Quotes:

• Luke Rosiak (12:02): “Forcing return to work could be crucial for shrinking the federal government because a lot of remote employees have moved to low cost of living areas and they'll actually quit rather than come back.”

Broader Government Telework Trends: Despite the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, telework remains prevalent among federal employees, with government buildings operating at only 12% capacity. Efforts by both Trump and Biden administrations have led to contrasting approaches towards remote work policies, often locked in contractual agreements that complicate immediate policy shifts.

Notable Quotes:

• Luke Rosiak (11:36): “So, no head of an executive branch can succeed unless he can mobilize the 2 million people working for him in service of his agenda right off the bat.”

Conclusion: The AFGE’s contradictory actions highlight a deeper tension within federal institutions about the balance between flexible work arrangements and the need for a coordinated, in-office workforce to support administrative directives. This dynamic will be pivotal as Trump seeks to implement his workforce reform agenda.

Notable Quotes:

• Luke Rosiak (12:30): “If working from the office is helpful when the work is really urgent and important, like the view stopping the Trump administration, then the implication is that AFGE doesn't view actually serving the public in these agency jobs to be as important or urgent.”

---

Final Thoughts

As the political landscape transitions into a new administration, President Biden’s final acts on foreign aid and domestic policy face significant challenges and opposition. Former President Trump’s strategic victories on border security and the intricate dynamics within federal unions set the stage for a confrontational and transformative period in U.S. governance.

---

This summary captures the essential discussions and insights from the "Morning Wire" episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have not tuned in.

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

President Biden rushes more aid to Ukraine as another debt ceiling battle in Congress takes shape.

[Tim Rice]

What they've always been trying to do here is just push as many weapons, as much material as they can into Ukraine to strengthen the Ukrainian position.

[John Bickley]

How does this impact the incoming administration? And will the House speaker hang on to his gavel?

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor in Chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, December 31st, and this is a new New Year's Eve edition of MORNING Wire. Trump celebrates a crucial win after Texas successfully sues to stop the Biden administration from selling off border wall materials.

[Tom Homan]

The Biden administration has not only ignored the law, they've actually violated the law in many ways. And there's going to be a lot of oversight investigation of what exactly happened in this administration. People need to be held accountable.

[John Bickley]

And a powerful union for federal workers sparks controversy in its attempt to thwart.

[Georgia Howe]

Waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

[Brandon]

Over 38,000 businesses have future proofed their operations with NetSuite by Oracle, the number one cloud ERP. It's your all in one for accounting, inventory, HR and more. With real time insight and forecasting, you're peering into the future. With actionable data from millions to hundreds of millions in revenue, NetSuite can help you tackle today's hurdles and seize tomorrow's wins. See how netsuite can future proof your business. And speaking of the Future, download the CS CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at netsuite.com MorningWire. This guide is free to you at netsuite.com Morningwire Again, that's netsuite.com MorningWire.

[John Bickley]

With just days left in office, President Biden is sending one last burst of aid to Ukraine just as Congress gears up for a battle over the debt limit.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with an update on these year end developments is Daily Wire Deputy Managing editor Tim Rice. So, Tim, let's start with Ukraine. What does that aid package look like?

[Tim Rice]

Well, Georgia, It's a costly one, $2.5 billion in security assistance, which includes artillery, other weapons and air defense systems. Half of that is coming directly from the Pentagon, while the other half comes from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which essentially lets the US Government procure weapons from defense contractors on behalf of Ukraine. And on top of that, the treasury department is releasing $3.4 billion in additional budgetary aid to Ukraine. So that's about $6 billion altogether and brings the total amount of money dispersed to Ukraine under the Biden administration to around $175 billion. It's pretty clear to anyone watching this that Biden is trying to send as much money as possible to Ukraine before Trump takes office and has a chance to turn off the hose. And in his statement announcing the grant, Biden pretty much admits to this. He said he's directed his administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible. And he stresses that at my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war over the remainder of my term in office.

[Georgia Howe]

So President Biden is pretty openly thumbing his nose at Trump here. What kind of position is that going to leave Trump in when he comes into office?

[Tim Rice]

Well, in terms of the aid itself, this doesn't really change much. Trump and J.D. vance campaigned on reducing aid to Ukraine and have consistently criticized Biden for doing stuff like this. So Trump's still in a good position to keep that campaign promise and stop the aid to Ukraine. But Biden's final gift could make things tricky for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson as they negotiate the ongoing battle over the debt limit. Remember, the House narrowly avoided a government shutdown days before Christmas when they passed a bill to fund the government until the spring. But that was after conservative lawmakers helped kill a funding bill backed by Trump and spearheaded by Johnson that would have extended the debt ceiling for at least two more years. Trump has called for the ridiculous debt ceiling to be extended to 2029 or eliminated outright, which is a deal breaker for budget hawks like Senator Rand Paul and members of the Freedom Caucus. There have been rumblings of a plan to oust Johnson for his willingness to extend the debt ceiling. And this is where the Ukraine stuff comes in. Some of Johnson's critics have slammed his willingness to compromise with Democrats on Ukraine funding. So even though this most recent tranche of aid was going to Zelenskyy, with or without Johnson's buy in, the optics certainly aren't good for an already embattled Speaker.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, listeners will remember Johnson secured the Speaker's gavel after a pretty similar fight over the national debt. Does it seem like history is going to repeat itself?

[Tim Rice]

Well, we'll have to see. On the one hand, Republicans have a razor thin majority in the house, just 219 to 215. That means Johnson can only afford to lose one member of his caucus and keep his seat. But things have started to look up for Johnson in recent days. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich praised his leadership, and he got support from New York Congressman Mike Lawler, who said that anyone who thinks they can oust Johnson. Johnson is being unrealistic. But the speaker's biggest boost came yesterday when he got a sweeping endorsement from Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hardworking religious man. He will do the right thing and we will continue to win. Mike has my complete and total endorsement. Trump stressed that Republicans were the party of common sense and urged lawmakers not to blow this great opportunity we have been given to enact change by wasting time on internal squabbles.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, as far as endorsements go, that's a pretty big one for Johnson to get. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Rice]

You bet.

[Brandon]

Hey guys, producer Brandon here. Black Rifle Coffee helps you wake up each morning feeling dialed in and ready to make the most of your day. And now's your Chance to get 20% off your purchase using code DAILY [e-mail] all of their explosive coffees are roasted right here in the USA by a veteran led team of expert roasters obsessed with crafting the perfect cup of coffee. Every Black Rifle purchase gives back to those who serve our nation. Your support makes it possible for Black Rifle Coffee company to help provide funding, training and equipment to our nation's military and first responders. Head over to their site now for 20% off your purchase with Code Daily Wire.

[John Bickley]

The Biden administration has agreed to stop the sale of border wall materials after a legal challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The administration has auctioned off bollards and concrete originally purchased for the wall since 2023, but a December report from the Daily Wire drew scrutiny to the practice.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the legal battle over the border wall. So Tim, what's the latest on this case?

[Tim Pierce]

President elect Donald Trump received some good news from a Texas court on Friday. The Biden administration agreed to pause the sale of border wall materials for 30 days, enough time for Trump to take office. According to Paxton's office. This pause will be backed by a court order so the Biden administration could face court sanctions if it breaks the agreement. The court also gave Paxton's office approval to investigate whether any of the sales were in violation of an injunction from Back in March, Paxton, along with the attorney general in Missouri, sued the Biden administration in 2021 over the administration's attempt to redirect funds set aside for border wall construction. Friday's order says that Paxton can investigate whether any of the materials sold off would have fallen under that injunction. If so, the officials responsible could be held in contempt of court.

[Georgia Howe]

So this is a big win for Trump. How did he react to the news?

[Tim Pierce]

He posted a statement on his social media platform Truth Social, calling the agreement a major crucial win for America and our national security. He said he intends to use those materials left to build the wall and, quote, protect our country from violent migrant crime, fentanyl smuggling, sex trafficking, terror attacks and other heinous nation ending disasters. Now, while this controversy blew up in the past couple weeks, the sale of border wall construction materials has actually been going on since last year. According to the House, the sale was approved by Congress in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

[Georgia Howe]

So what was the original intent of the law? Presumably it passed a GOP controlled House.

[Tim Pierce]

Well, according to Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the original intent of the Finish it act included in the ndaa, was to designate that the materials either needed to be used on wall projects or sold to border states to be used on the wall. The Department of defense sold about 60% of the wall materials to Texas, California and the U.S. border Patrol, but it sold the remaining 40% to under a sales contract that began in June, and those sales were offered for pennies on the dollar. Republicans say it wasn't supposed to be a fire sale, just to liquidate the materials, which is what ended up happening.

[Georgia Howe]

So how did the original intent get misconstrued and end up as a fire sale?

[Tim Pierce]

That's unclear, but it led Trump to accuse Biden and government bureaucrats of trying to undermine the new administration before it even gets started. Now, Trump and his allies have promised to clean out agencies of entrenched bureaucrats who abuse their positions to buck the presidents, what's known as the deep state. Here's Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, talking to the Daily Wire and warning those bureaucrats to get moving.

[Tom Homan]

God help them, because we'll be looking for those bad actors. Look, we, we know, we pretty much know where the bodies are buried. We know who's who. The President of the United States is coming up with an agenda. If you don't like the agenda, they get another job. We don't get another job. You, we'll get you another job.

[Tim Pierce]

So that warning could very well apply to anyone involved in this latest controversy of the border wall. Trump and Homan are going to look at this and go after anyone that they think may try to impede Trump's immigration agenda.

[Georgia Howe]

Tim, thanks for joining us.

[Tim Rice]

Good.

[Tim Pierce]

To be on.

[Georgia Howe]

A massive federal union which represents some 750,000 federal employees, may be one of the biggest impediments to Trump's reformation of the federal workforce.

[John Bickley]

The American Federation of Government Employees is slashing work from home for the operatives at union headquarters so they can work more productively against Trump's agenda. That's according to a new report from Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak, who joins us now. Hey, Luke. So what exactly is going on here?

[Luke Rosiak]

Hey, John. Layers of irony is what's going on here. The union bosses are suggesting that because battling Donald Trump is so important, their internal staff need to work really hard. And that includes starting to work from the union's office rather than from home. Far more. At least four days a week in the office. Now, one of the big parts of what's keeping them so busy is fighting for federal employees to keep working from home, often four days or more at home. So you have the union locking in extensive telework for employees it represents while clamping down on telework for its own full time staff of operatives.

[John Bickley]

So very contradictory actions there.

[Luke Rosiak]

Exactly. The AFGE's in house employees actually have their own union representing them against AFGE management. And they have filed a grievance against AFGE President Everett Kelly. They're saying it's hypocritical for the union to tell taxpayers that there are only upsides to feds working from home while telling employees of the union itself to report to the office.

[John Bickley]

And how is the union trying to square that circle about as well as circles are squared?

[Luke Rosiak]

I guess. President Kelly has responded by saying that as the boss, he has the right to make determinations about basic work requirements. Now, the reason this is so important is that it seems like AFGE is acknowledging that telework isn't always the best way to get things done when you're working hard on an important mission. That's not what it's been saying in the five year agreements it's been signing with the Biden administration, which say large scale telework advances dei, helps the environment and increases productivity.

[John Bickley]

How chronic is this remote work issue at this point for the federal government?

[Luke Rosiak]

So even with COVID long in the past, federal employees still work from home at such rates that the government buildings are only 12% occupied. That's according to a Senate report. Trump has said he intends to call workers back to the office. But in November, Joe Biden's Social Security commissioner signed a contract through 2029 giving away the right of management to change telework from the status quo 2020.

[John Bickley]

So locking that in for Trump's whole term.

[Luke Rosiak]

Exactly. AFGE, it turns out has signed quite a few contracts binding the incoming administration. On December 18th, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission signed one agreeing that, quote, all EEOC positions are eligible for some amount of TE. AFGE's contracts with agencies often lay out procedures for telework up to four days a week plus some employees being fully remote.

[John Bickley]

But that's for taxpayer funded employees. It seems when it comes to their own union employees, they have sort of a different perspective here.

[Luke Rosiak]

Correct? If working from the office is helpful when the work is really urgent and important, like the view stopping the Trump administration, then the implication is that AFGE doesn't view actually serving the public in these agency jobs to be as important or urgent.

[John Bickley]

So the union president contends he has the right to tell his own operatives that they need to come into the office and he rejects the claim that it violates a contract. Is Trump going to be able to say the same thing about all federal employees?

[Luke Rosiak]

That's the question. I mean, no head of an executive branch can succeed unless he can mobilize the 2 million people working for him in service of his agenda right off the bat. Forcing return to work could be crucial for shrinking the federal government because a lot of remote employees have moved to low cost of living areas and they'll actually quit rather than come back. I analyzed six long term contracts signed by AFGE this year and while all of them contain language praising and boosting telework, most or maybe even all of them contain loopholes that would enable management to stop it, although the language is murky enough that they could be tied up in court for a while.

[John Bickley]

And definitely surprising that these agency headquarters are still largely empty. And it really gets to the question of whether government agencies exist to serve the public or their own workforce. Luke, thanks for reporting.

[Luke Rosiak]

Sure thing.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.

[Brandon]

Are you a finance professional? Are you looking for a better way to maximize productivity and cut wasteful spending? Look no further than ramp. RAMP is the corporate card and spend management software designed to help you save time and put money back in your pocket. With ramp, your finance team receives unparalleled control into company spending, closing your books eight times faster and saving an average of 5% in your first year. And now get $250 when you join RAMP. Just go to ramp.comwire that's ramp.com wire R A M P.com wire cards issued by Sutton bank member FDIC terms and conditions may apply.