In addition to Representative Brian Mast's (R-FL) firey opening comments directed towards former Secretary of State and Democratic nominee for President John Kerry (D) on Capitol Hill, the Florida Congressman searched for transparency surrounding his position as the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC), otherwise known as the “Climate Czar.”
Regarding the chain of command, Rep. Mast inquired about those above and below Secretary Kerry.
“I would love to know the names of the individuals that actually answer to you who are the ones that directly answer to you, so we can know a little bit about your office and then we’ll give this chart to somebody in your office and maybe they can fill out the rest of the names, while you’re hearing answering questions for you,” stated Mast.
Secretary responded with the names of his two deputies, Rick Duke and Sue Biniaz. He would then answer regarding the rest of the board showcasing the chain of command provided by Rep Mast, that he would not fill the rest of the names in, as it would be a “violation of our process within the State Department,” and it is “not the required process of the State Department.”
In a blog post, Mast stated that there is “a lot of ambiguity in terms of his role” as the Climate Czar.
“There is a lot of ambiguity in terms of his role: depending who you ask and on which day, he’s either an employee of the Executive Office of the President, or of the State Department. On top of that, we don't even know who reports directly to him. If my team and I were struggling to find this information, it is near impossible for the American people to know how their tax dollars are being spent when it comes to the Administration’s climate agenda abroad. While they purport to be serving the American people, there is a clear lack of transparency in the office that is run by a career politician of nearly 40 years,” wrote Mast.
He would conclude saying, “While we were able to get some vital details, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Our fight for accountability and transparency is far from over.”
During the Congressional Hearing, Mast referred to Kerry’s work as “a far-left radical agenda.”
