James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee (R-Kentucky), is paying more attention to talks about Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry’s Climate Negotiations with China.
Kerry engages in negotiations before he has been confirmed by Senate. Although this is not illegal, it does seem as though a great deal of responsibility has been given to someone who is engaged in international negotiations and is setting policy on climate.
Comer said in a Fox News Digital statement that the Biden Administration had withheld information about John Kerry’s position within the Administration for the past two years despite numerous requests from the committee. “He wasn’t confirmed by the Senate. The American people do not hold him accountable. “He is avoiding congressional oversight, and that’s unacceptable.”
What is John Kerry doing? Nobody outside of the White House knows.
He continued, “His reported imminent negotiations with the Chinese regarding climate topics, an action he has taken on many occasions, is inappropriate, and could undermine U.S. interest and domestic energy security.” “Mr. The committee will closely monitor Mr. Kerry’s continuing involvement in shady negotiation.”
Fox News:
The top Republican legislator added that last week, the panel wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding Kerry’s role at the State Department as a special envoy. Comer stated that he is expecting “nothing but full cooperation” from this agency.
Comer announced that in February, the Oversight Committee was going to open an investigation into Kerry’s secretive climate negotiations with Chinese diplomats.
What commitments does John Kerry make to the U.S. in any agreement that he tries to reach with China? Will it be similar to the Iran deal — one that did not require Senate approval?
The State Department says there is nothing unusual happening.
A State Department spokesperson said that Secretary Kerry spoke with his counterpart Xie Zhenhua virtually in April, as part of ongoing discussions on the work necessary to avoid the worst effects of the climate crises. “He was invited to visit China by Xie in the future and continue these discussions in person. However, no formal plans have been made for this meeting.”
China emits three times more CO2 into the atmosphere than the U.S. The U.S. signed a climate agreement in Paris that gave China a free pass on emissions. China has taken advantage of this by building two coal-fired power plants each week.
What does John Kerry give away this time around?
Kerry’s office, since President Biden named him the first-ever SPEC in history, has kept a tight lid on its actions, refusing to divulge details about their internal operations. This has prompted criticism from Comer, and other Republicans. He has also jetted around the globe, attending high-profile summits on climate change and diplomatic engagements for the U.S. Government in an attempt to push the global transition away from fossil fuels towards green energy alternatives.
Kerry has held a number of private meetings with Chinese counterparts as part of this effort. Two 2021 meetings took place in China. Kerry said to CNBC in April 2021 that the solution to climate change “was not about China” after a regional summit on climate change.
No, of course not. Kerry does not want to hurt Chinese feelings by calling them “carbon polluters” and pointing the finger at them.