The millions of dollars that President Biden’s State Department has put toward “pet projects” are coming under a microscope as delays in the department’s blight areas.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo, sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday demanding answers about the huge amount of money the department has dropped on things like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and environmental funding overseas while his constituents face “unprecedented delays” in passport processing times.
“The ridiculous spending by the Biden State Department on pet projects of little or no value to the American taxpayer underscores how misplaced the priorities of Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, and this entire Administration are,” Schmitt said in a statement.
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Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt listens to a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I intend to get to the bottom of this irresponsible spending, and stop this administration from wasting time, money, and undermining American trust in our government institutions,” Schmitt added.
Within the letter, Schmitt noted that instead of hiring additional employees to help with backlogged passport applications, the department chose to “spend tens of millions of dollars on pointless pet projects that have little or no benefit to the American people.”
Schmitt, in particular, listed several department expenditures that included $120,000 for “Gastrodiplomacy.” $1,565,000 for foreign sports or Esports-Adjacent Projects, $400,000 for Chinese efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and $30,699,850 for DEI or environmental funding abroad.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference with Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the State Department, Friday, June 16, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“Because of the State Department’s commitment to these pet projects instead of improving processing times for Americans’ passport applications, my Office has received numerous requests for assistance in processing their applications,” Schmitt wrote.
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President Biden’s State Department has pushed tens of millions toward DEI initiatives and environmental funding abroad. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“Since I took office in January, my team has received more than 500 requests regarding delays in receiving their passports. That is unconscionable, and the State Department must do everything in its power to speed up processing times so that American citizens can get the service they deserve,” he added.
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Schmitt concluded by asking a series of questions, including what efforts the State Department is making to hire for passport processing, whether there is currently a shortage of individuals to process passport applications and what specific initiatives are receiving an allocation from the $30 million toward DEI initiatives and international environmental funding.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Aubrie Spady of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.