John Kerry Faces Investigation Over Secret Negotiations
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is now investigating John Kerry’s secret negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party.
Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC), refused to respond to any requests on the matter from Republicans in Congress when they were in the minority — and now the GOP is taking bold action.
In a letter to Kerry on Thursday, Comer informed him that the Oversight Committee had launched an investigation into his role with the Biden administration and his high-level climate-related negotiations with China.
“To date, you have failed to respond to any of our requests,” the Republican congressman wrote. “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. 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.”
Soon after taking office, President Joe Biden created the position of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and immediately appointed Kerry to the role.
Kerry’s job is within the State Department, and he was given an annual budget of roughly $13.9 million. The position gives him a spot on Biden’s cabinet and the National Security Council, and allows him to travel around the world meeting with high-profile climate candidates.
Republicans have long criticized Kerry because his office has been overly secretive about its staff members and operations.
“We are left with an insufficient understanding of your office’s activities, spending, and staffing,” Comer’s letter stated. “To enable long overdue oversight of your office, please provide the following documents and information.”
The Oversight Committee chairman also noted that Kerry has been too soft regarding China’s repeated human rights violations.
Kerry has been repeatedly criticized for his comments downplaying the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses tied to their green energy supply chain. When questioned about China’s use of slave labor in its solar panel firms, Kerry stated that it was not part of his job.
“Well, we’re honest about the differences,” he 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 Biden appointed him to his position, Kerry has had several private conversations with Chinese counterparts, including two meetings in China in 2021.
He also claimed that solving climate change was “not about China,” despite the fact that the communist country is the number one emitter of greenhouse gasses — accounting for a shocking 27% of the world’s emissions.
“This is not about China. This is not a counter to China,” Kerry said. “This is about China, the United States, India, Russia… a bunch of countries that are emitting a pretty sizable amount.”
