The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing with Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, the Biden Administration's so-called "Climate Czar." Representative Brian Mast (R-FL), presiding over the hearing, unleashed a fiery opening statement against Kerry for his apparent lack of oversight and accountability, calling him "hellbent on enacting policies not by votes through the House and Representatives and the Senate, but by fiat."
Rep. Mast began by stating he and Kerry share a common goal of preserving the environment and promoting public health, although Kerry does not seem to acknowledge the necessary balance between eco-friendliness and economic stability.
"You cannot worry about the efficiency of your home if you cannot make rent. If you cannot make rent, you cannot make your mortgage payment and you cannot worry about the emissions of your automobile if you cannot make the payments on your car. You cannot worry about the way America is electrified as we look to the future to make sure that our electric grid can support the policies that are being pushed. And it seems in many cases like you are hellbent on enacting policies not by votes through the House of Representatives and the Senate, but by fiat," Rep. Mast stated.
He then referenced Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling Kerry "indispensable" in "weaving climate into the fabric of everything we do at the State Department." Mast expressed his disagreement, adding Kerry is "willing to push the envelope of what it means to live in a constitutional republic in order to get the agenda that the Administration sees enacted."
Mast cited Kerry's influence as Secretary of State under President Obama, "unilaterally" getting the United States into the Paris Climate Accords and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, AKA the Iran nuclear deal. "I believe that speaks volumes about your overarching philosophy as it applies to government," said Mast, reiterating Congress did not vote him into the position, yet "it seems like once again the rules do not apply to the President's inner circle."
More egregiously, Mast cited multiple instances of Kerry seemingly evading oversight or accountability. For example, Kerry did not provide an organizational chart of his office until being hit with a lawsuit, and even then did not name any staff. Additionally, Kerry has ignored Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for "months but claimed that it would take years to produce basic budgetary information, and in some cases, not willing to release it until 2024."
Mast concluded by saying Kerry's actions do not represent the American people, instead representing, in Mast's opinion, "a far-left radical agenda."
"But the truth is, because of the lack of transparency, nobody really knows exactly what it is you are representing," Mast closed.
