Climate Envoy Kerry Won’t Share Staff Names to Congress, Saying It’s Not ‘Required’

U.S. Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry delivers a speech at the Congress centre during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 17, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Climate Envoy John Kerry, who reports directly to President Joe Biden from a cabinet-level position in the State Department, would not disclose the names of various staff in his office when asked to do so on July 13 by Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.).

Pointing to a mostly empty org chart labeled, “Who’s In Charge?” Mr. Mast asked Mr. Kerry to share the names of staff under his authority.

Mr. Kerry provided the names of his two deputy envoys, Rick Duke and Sue Biniaz, before stopping short.

“I’m not going to go through all the names,” he said, adding that such a disclosure in that setting to Mr. Mast “would be a violation of our process in the State Department.”

“I’m not going to go through them by name because that is not the required process of the State Department,” he continued.

Rep. Brian Mast (R) (C) gives members of the National Guard a tour of the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)

Mr. Mast said that a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request about Mr. Kerry’s office had been submitted in 2021. He told Mr. Biden’s climate czar that the office had said the information wouldn’t be provided until 2024–a three-year delay.

“An algorithm kicked out that date,” Mr. Kerry said, seemingly in reference to the FOIA request.

Mr. Kerry appeared to lose patience with Mr. Mast when the Florida lawmaker said he was not “going to argue” with the climate czar, who served as Secretary of State under former President Obama and as a senator from Massachusetts for decades.

“Don’t just cut me off,” Mr. Kerry said, reiterating that he intended to “follow the process of the State Department, which is normally followed.”

‘Nobody Voted For You’

The heated exchange took place during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s oversight subcommittee. It comes as Mr. Kerry prepares to visit China for climate talks, following visits by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mast noted that Mr. Kerry did not have to be confirmed by the Senate as the United States’ first special presidential envoy for climate. Standard cabinet-level positions typically have to be approved by that chamber.

“Nobody voted for you in this body,” Mr. Mast said.

Mr. Mast also asked Mr. Kerry about another oddity of his office; it lacks a clear online presence accessible to the American people, or even, apparently, to their representatives.

“Can you direct me to your website, your landing page, your ‘About Your Office’ section, mission statement section of your website?” Mr. Mast asked, saying that he and his staff hadn’t been able to find anything of the sort for Mr. Kerry’s office.

“I can direct you to the CN, the Congressional Notice, which had a very detailed chart,” Mr. Kerry answered.

Mr. Mast pressed Mr. Kerry regarding the apparent absence of a designated, easily accessible web page for his office.

“We use the State Department website,” Mr. Kerry responded.

The podium at the State Department in Washington on April 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Kerry Rules Out Climate Reparations at COP28

Mr. Mast and Mr. Kerry had a less acrimonious exchange shortly afterward. Mr. Mast had pulled out another chart. This one concerned possible U.S. commitments during the United Nations climate conference that will be held later this year in Dubai, known as COP28.

“Are you planning to commit America to climate reparations?” Mr. Mast asked, referring to a redistributive policy akin to reparations for slavery. It has gained support among some American liberals, including at the influential Brookings Institution.

“No. Under no circumstances,” Mr. Kerry responded.

Yet, the two tangled over Mr. Kerry’s answer on a possible cross-border carbon trading commitment by the U.S. The European Union and other political entities have implemented emissions trading systems.

“There’s no current proposal or plan that’s been agreed to which would require us to do that,” he responded.

“We’re exploring with a lot of countries what the various approaches might be, and President Biden has charged us to examine cross-border adjustment mechanisms in order to understand how we can deal with the question of very carbon-intensive produced goods coming into our country,” he continued.

Mr. Mast interpreted that answer as a “maybe,” prompting pushback from Mr. Kerry.

“You’re playing games,” he told the Floridian.

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) also took issue with Mr. Mast’s style of questioning.

“I’m not going to game show this,” he told Mr. Kerry, stressing that the climate envoy’s office had always been helpful to him.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) likewise argued that Mr. Kerry had modeled transparency in his role.

“You have consistently come back and talked to Congress,” he said.

Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.) chairs a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on March 10, 2021. (Ken Cedeno/Pool via Reuters)

Mr. Kerry told Mr. Crow that the climate transition is “without doubt the largest economic opportunity the world has seen since the Industrial Revolution.”

Ahead of Mr. Kerry’s trip to Beijing, Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) asked the climate diplomat why the United States wasn’t attempting to “decouple” from China’s economy.

“Most economists, most investors, most people who have studied this issue very carefully, do not believe it is possible to totally decouple from China,” Mr. Kerry answered.

“It absolutely is, sir,” Mr. Mills said, arguing that seabed harvesting and more oil and gas drilling could help the U.S. decrease its reliance on the giant across the Pacific.