Zachry Federal Construction Corporation no longer intends to bid on the estimated $4.1 billion U.S.-Mexico border wall project proposed by President Donald Trump, according to a brief statement submitted to the Rivard Report by a Zachry spokesperson.
“While Zachry Federal Construction Corporation had previously expressed interest in the border wall projects, it has withdrawn from the solicitation process,” the statement issued Tuesday read.
When the Rivard Report contacted the company for further comment, Zachry’s Director of Public and Government Affairs Tara Snowden responded: “Based on a variety of factors, the decision was made that pursuing this project did not make sense.
“In the end, [CEO] David Zachry made the decision himself.”
In March, the San Antonio construction company had confirmed its interest in bidding on the project to build wall segments along the U.S.-Mexico border after the Rivard Report obtained a FedBizOpps list of “interested vendors.”
The list of interested vendors revealed that Zachry and nine other San Antonio companies, including Raba Kistner Inc., planned to submit proposals to provide materials for or construct the wall.
But when Congress reached an agreement on a massive spending bill May 1, it did not provide money for the border wall. The agreement, which funds the government through the end of September, added billions of dollars for the Pentagon, border security, and repairs to existing border fences.
Raba Kistner’s Director of Federal Programs, John Borland, declined to comment for this story about the company’s interest, but said, “I believe the administration plans to pursue FY18 funding in the next bill.”
A Raba Kistner company spokesperson also explained that because the company operates as a subcontractor, it would pull out of the bidding process if its prime contractors chose to do so.
U.S. Rep Will Hurd (R-Texas), who had previously challenged the Trump administration over its request for $999 million to build the wall, stated in his most recent constituent letter:
“My stance on the border wall has not changed, because the facts have not changed. There is no question that we must secure our border, but building a wall from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to go about doing so. A one-size-fits-all solution won’t address all of the border’s complexities. … I am in favor of investing in technology and personnel, instead of a third-century solution.”
