House Oversight Chairman James Comer accuses Biden admin official Kerry of ‘shady negotiations’
Misty Severi
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House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) promised to keep Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry under scrutiny on Friday, accusing him of conducting “shady negotiations” with China.
Comer said that the oversight committee was concerned about Kerry’s high-profile role within the Biden administration and his position in the negotiations, because he has not been confirmed by the Senate.
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“For the past two years, the Biden administration has withheld information on John Kerry’s role within the administration despite the committee’s many requests,” Comer told Fox News. “He was not confirmed by the Senate. He is not held accountable by the American people. He is skirting congressional oversight and that is unacceptable.”
Comer continued: “His reported upcoming negotiations with the Chinese on climate topics, an action which he has done on numerous occasions, is inappropriate and potentially undermines U.S. interests and domestic energy security. Mr. Kerry’s continued engagement in shady negotiations will be met with intense scrutiny by the committee.”
The State Department confirmed that Kerry restarted his conversation on climate with China in April and will be meeting with Chinese officials in person in the future to continue negotiations. The department said both parties agree climate is a “global crisis,” and will keep climate separate from topics that the countries disagree on.
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Comer launched a congressional investigation into Kerry’s work in February and sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week. The letter requested details about Kerry’s work on climate change. The Biden administration has been secretive when it comes to specifics on Kerry’s role since his appointment in 2021, but he has attended several high-profile international climate summits on behalf of the United States since the appointment.
Prior to his appointment, Kerry served as former President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State from 2013 to 2017. He is the first person to hold the climate envoy position. The position does not report directly to the Secretary of State, but it does work alongside the department, a department official testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.