House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is probing Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry’s secretive negotiations with his Chinese counterparts.
Comer informed Kerry in a letter sent Thursday afternoon that the committee, under his leadership, has opened an investigation into Kerry’s role in the Biden administration and, in particular, his high-level climate negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). To date, Kerry has ignored information and document requests from Comer and other committee Republicans sent when they were in the minority.
“To date, you have failed to respond to any of our requests,” Comer wrote to Kerry. “Yet, you continue to engage in activities that could undermine our economic health, skirt congressional authority, and threaten foreign policy under the guise of climate advocacy.”
“The Committee requests documents and information to understand your role and provide necessary transparency over the SPEC and its activities,” he continued. “As a member of the President’s cabinet, you should be representing the United States’ interests. Your statements, however, consistently show disregard for American national security and taxpayer dollars.”
President Biden appointed Kerry to be the U.S. SPEC, a position that hadn’t previously existed and which didn’t require Senate approval, shortly after taking office in early 2021. The SPEC office is housed at the State Department and has an estimated $13.9 million annual budget with approval for 45 personnel.
Kerry’s position gives him a spot on the president’s cabinet and National Security Council. Since taking on the role, he has traveled worldwide, attending high-profile climate summits and diplomatic engagements in an effort to push a global transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives.
Despite the high-level role leading the Biden administration’s global climate strategy, Kerry’s office has been tight-lipped about its internal operations and staff members, sparking criticism from Republicans, including Comer, who have demanded transparency for such an important office.
“We are left with an insufficient understanding of your office’s activities, spending, and staffing,” Comer continued. “To enable long overdue oversight of your office, please provide the following documents and information.”
The Oversight Committee chairman added that Kerry has been too soft on China’s human rights violations “while promoting climate negotiations that the CCP does not even appear interested in entering.”
Kerry has been blasted for various comments that have appeared to downplay vast human rights abuses tied to China’s green energy supply chain. After he was asked in November 2021 about how slave labor was reportedly employed by solar panel firms in China, Kerry said he had to stay in his “lane” when negotiating with Chinese officials.
“Well, we’re honest about the differences,” Kerry said at the time. “We certainly know what they are, and we’ve articulated them, but that’s not my lane here… My job is to be the climate guy and stay focused on trying to move the climate agenda forward.”
Since assuming the SPEC position, Kerry has engaged in various private talks with Chinese counterparts, including two 2021 meetings that took place in China. Following a regional climate summit in April 2021, Kerry told CNBC that solving climate change was “not about China.”
“This is not about China. This is not a counter to China,” he told the outlet. “This is about China, the United States, India, Russia… a bunch of countries that are emitting a pretty sizable amount.”
China accounts for about 27% of total global emissions — nearly tripling the total in the U.S., the world’s second-largest emitter, according to Rhodium Group — and continues to approve and construct a large amount of coal power plants.
John Kerry has been peddling his “Global Warming” – “Ozone Layer Depletion” – now “Climate Change” nonsense for 50+ years now – all on taxpayers dime. Every decade his theory gets a new title and he spouts out a new threat to our life and gives us a new “End Date” when the World Will End unless we do what he wants ~ how many of his “End of the World” cult deadlines have we survived now, without even a hiccup? He is the Father of Doomsday. He has made Millions off of his snake oil – banning Hair Spray, Deodorant/Antiperspirant in Aerosol cans & Spray Paint from store shelves to protect the Ozone Layer for years; and then quietly they returned to all of the shelves and the ozone layer is fine ~ then I believe came Y2K crisis and we were all doomed to exist on 12/31/1999 at midnight – and we’re fine – – How about we turn their plays onto them? Instead of Biden’s mandate “Jab for Job” we give them back “Pay to Play” and we CEASE issuing any & all paychecks to any/all Federal Govt Workers – including ceasing all reimbursements for expenses when traveling, cutting off their govt gas cards inc. refueling his private jet and NO Fed Employee receives one more red cent from the We the People Taxpayers unless they provide they begin to show us continual and consistent Transparency? If they want to continue to PLAY in these Govt Jobs, then they must abide by the Rules set forth and answer the questions posed to them by ALL Oversight Committees or Members of Congress. Unless and Until they do that; they do not receive a penny back. John Kerry and his massive carbon footprint from his own private jet flying here & there, or even the enomrous amt of commercial flights he takes is excessive for the Climate Czar so concerned about all of our Carbon Emissions when he produces the MOST in the USA as a US Citizen. How about He and Greta Thunberg Practice what they Preach. Neither should be traveling, moving about, eating, wearing, etc any item in society unless it is the results of solar power and biosustainable, non-plastic, non-petroleum products used – – He should be riding a bike to work every day in D.C. and not flying his private jet back & forth across the USA preaching a damn word about “Climate Change” – – I’m pretty sure the rest of us are aware of the Farmers Almanac and I trust their SCIENCE 100x more than I will ever trust a word out of this arrogant, smug POS mouth! Stop paying those that refuse to comply – Pay to Play just like Jab for Job. Carpe Diem.
John Kerry’s insider Chinese secret meetings is one more example of the Biden f’d up administration! John Kerry is a hypocrite, and the same with his bullshit position as climate czar.
Kerry the Lizard is a Treasonous globalists demon worshipping piece of shit! And if he is ever exposed to the extent of his dealings, the world will be horrified! He is a demon literally! He even said that he is “special” and that he is “extraterrestrial for being “chosen to save the planet”! A complete Loon!
He is the kind of demon that will lead a genocide against humanity under the guise of ‘saving the planet” when he and his beloved China are the worst planet offenders of all.
Chicken little the sky is falling needs to be subpoenaed other wise he ain’t going to cooperate one bit what you keep forgetting is chick little is an arrogant SOB who thinks he’s above the rule of law answering to congress is beneath him he’s so special so get yourself a subpoena and force him into submission or you’ll get nothing! The guy is a total hypocrite regarding green energy as are the rest of the leftist chicken fly’s around the world in his private fossil fuel jet! Climate czar is the last thing this SOB cares about! Let’s Go Brandon!
A special job set up by Veggie Joe and the hoe gang. Interesting, wonder what old Kerry did to deserve it? There is climate change and it’s been happening for a very long time! We are being forced to give up gas for electricity which we are definitely not set up to do with efficiency. Our electric grids are not protected and can easily be sabotaged as we have already seen!
We are expected to give up things while the rest of the world is still doing more harm because they haven’t been forced by their governments why is that?