Though it may be difficult to read about, one might as well read this because – after all – Americans are paying for it. According to the Weekly Standard and a host of other media sources reporting on Friday morning, Vice President Joe Biden and his entourage of staff and security racked up a nearly one-half million dollar hotel bill while spending a short amount of time in London last month.
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Public documentation of the Biden trip in early February details that the cost of lodging – nothing else, just lodging – for the trip to England cost an incredible $459,388.65. Such governmental items are reportedly not bid on due to security reasons. Instead, the contract was awarded to the Hyatt Regency London, The Churchill Hotel – an exclusive 5-star hotel accommodation – on January 30, 2013, for the Biden trip.
The cost includes 136 hotel rooms for 893 room nights which comes out to about $500 per room per night.
The synopsis of Biden’s trip states:
The US Embassy London awarded a sole source IDIQ contract to the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill Hotel for the amount of $459,388.65. The contract number was SUK45013D0001. The circumstances permitting other than full and open competition are prescribed in FAR Part 6. 302.2. Unusual and Compelling Urgency under the authority of the Competition in Contracting Act 41 U.S.C. 3304(a) (2). Please see the attachment for the full text justification.
Naturally, the bill is paid if full on Biden's and his entourage’s behalf – via the U.S. Government.
UPDATE: By day's end, it was reported that during the same trip, Biden and his accompanyists had a $585,000.50 tab at Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand. Therefore, the trip which lasted for several days cost the government and its tax-payers over $1 million. While comparisons are quickly being made to President Bill Clinton's travel expenses during his term, Clinton did not present the nation with the deficit we see during the Obama-Biden administrations. Therefore, many are saying that little - if any - comparisons should be made regarding the current spending by the current government.
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