A testy John Kerry flatly refused to share the names of the 45 people on his staff or explain why his Climate office has no website the public can turn to learn more.
He also admitted he has taken at least one trip on his family’s private jet and blamed “an algorithm” for delaying public records requests — including one from the Herald — until the fall of 2024.
It was all part of a rare 2-hour grilling before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability Thursday where reps attempted to nail down details of Kerry’s job as the first-ever Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
Subcommittee Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) addressed Kerry’s “lack of transparency” and asked him to point taxpayers to his office website.
“We use the State Department website,” Kerry said, after some delay.
Mast then asked for the “names of individuals who actually answer” to Kerry.
“I have two deputies, and they are well-known and are very experienced people. Rick Duke and Sue Biniaz. Well I’m not going to go through all the names,” when Mast pressed for more. “I’m not going to fill them in here in this way because it would be a violation of our process within the State Department.”
As for Freedom of Information Act requests, Kerry said “an algorithm kicked out that date, the one you’re referring to.” The Herald has been told Kerry won’t release his staff list until October of 2024, the date Mast cited.
Mast added he’s not going to “argue about it,” with Kerry interrupting: “Chairman, don’t just cut me off. What I’m trying to tell you is I’m going to follow the process.”
Mast pushed back saying it’s “standard practice for government” to list who does what from the military on down.
Kerry also reaffirmed that he “responds directly to the President of the United States” and not U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
He announced he’s heading to China this weekend and India by the end of the month — two trips others on the panel said raise questions about his air travel.
When pressed about his reported use of a private jet almost 2 hours into the session, Kerry said: “We don’t own a private jet. I don’t own a private jet. I’ve never personally owned a private jet.”
“My family owned a plane,” he added. “My wife owned a plane.” He admitted he used it “once” as Climate czar but relies on military and commercial flights.
“It’s pretty stupid to say I came here in a private jet,” he added earlier on when knocked about his travel habits.
Kerry did vow his weekend trip won’t include “any concessions.” He said it would be “malpractice” if he did. He said Biden wants to “stabilize” the nation’s relationship with China and avoid “a mistake to drag us into a hot conflict.”
U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) pressed Kerry on solar panels reportedly built by China’s Uyghur Muslims, who are basically treated like slaves. “Why on Earth would we not try to de-couple” from this? the rep said.
Kerry said it’s not possible to “de-couple from China,” but did say “the Uyghur Act” banning those products from entering into the U.S. “is being enforced.”
Kerry did have an opportunity, especially when the Bay State’s U.S. Rep. Bill Keating had a turn, to say a “New Economy” is being born and “we’re going to hopefully adapt and make new choices.”
He did warn the world will not avoid severe consequences from a warming planet. The hurricanes in Florida, flooding in Vermont, wildfires in Canada were also all addressed. He did say his office has also just turned over “700 pages” of material sought by the committee. Staffing was not mentioned as being included.