During the time that Joe Biden was in the White House, his State Department authorized more than $1.2 million in public funds for the renovation and maintenance of swimming pools at embassies and diplomatic residences located in countries such as Iraq, Sudan, Haiti, and Russia.
The information comes from an analysis conducted by Republican Senator Joni Ernst's office, who has led efforts to oversee spending through the Senate caucus known as DOGE, alluding to the ministry created by Trump that supervises public spending by the U.S. government.
In total, at least 14 orders were issued in seven different countries for work related to pool construction during Biden's presidency. The renovations included everything from pool covers to dehumidification systems at diplomatic facilities.
La senadora republicana Joni Ernst denunció los hechos
Waste at embassies in countries at war
One of the most striking cases was at the United States Embassy in Baghdad, where a spending of approximately $444,000 was authorized to replace the indoor pool's dehumidification system, as part of a contract initiated on September 27, 2024.
It is worth noting that this embassy was built at a cost exceeding $750 million and is one of the largest and most expensive in the world.
In Moscow, for example, more than $41,000 was spent on rehabilitating the U.S. embassy's pool, in a contract issued on June 3, 2022, three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
In Haiti, a country plagued by a constant political and social crisis, funds were approved to renovate two pools at diplomatic facilities.
In Sudan, where the State Department advised its citizens not to travel due to the ongoing civil war in the country, $24,000 was spent on installing a pool cover in 2021.
Durante el mandato de Biden, la embajada estadounidense en Bagdad destinó casi 500 mil dólares al cambio de deshumidificadores en una pileta
Biden was wasting taxpayers' money
Some contracts at other embassies have not yet been fully executed. For example, a $173,000 bid for a pool renovation in Jakarta, Indonesia, has still not been disbursed according to government records.
These expenses occur in a context where various voices have criticized the use of federal funds for unnecessary diplomatic luxuries, recalling similar episodes in previous Democratic administrations, such as the purchase of expensive art for embassies under the Obama administration.
Senator Ernst strongly criticized the use of these resources, stating that Biden's State Department “threw a summer pool party with taxpayer money” and that she is “fed up with Washington throwing taxpayers to the bottom of the pool”.
It should be noted that diplomatic missions are funded through congressional appropriations to the State Department, which means that taxpayers finance these types of projects.
In this context, Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announcedthe closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arguing that its programs did not guarantee serving national interests.
El secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, anunció recientemente el cierre del USAID
