Now, House Republicans have seized on this idea as part of their bid to extend the debt ceiling deadline until mid-May.

CNN: 'No Budget, No Pay' is no-brainer

At the deadline of 18:00 GMT on Thursday, it had attracted one bid and the sale closed.

BBC: Former RAF Neatishead base sold for ?2.5m in eBay auction

Only South Africa, Ghana and Libya managed to submit bids before the deadline of 23 November 2003, but proposals from Ivory Coast as well as a joint bid between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have also been accepted.

BBC: By Farayi Mungazi