House GOP Move To Defund Kerry’s Position
A group of more than two dozen House Republicans led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) has introduced legislation to defund the office of the special presidential envoy for climate, former Secretary of State John Kerry.
The No Taxpayer Funding for Climate Zealots Advancing Radical Schemes Act would prevent any federal funds from being appropriated for Kerry's office, including salary, administrative, and travel expenses.
The legislation comes as the White House has faced bipartisan criticism over the lack of transparency surrounding the envoy's operations.
"Climate czar John Kerry is the poster child for the Biden administration's anti-energy policies that are destroying both our economy and national security," Rep. Roy said in a statement. "Now John Kerry is visiting China—the top threat to our national security and the world's number one polluter—to further hamstring energy freedom. It's time to defund anti-energy climate bureaucrats like John Kerry once and for all."
Since taking on the role, Kerry has traveled worldwide, attending high-profile climate summits and diplomatic engagements to further President Biden's efforts to transition away from fossil fuels and towards alternative energy sources.
Kerry's office, which has an estimated $13.9 million annual budget and 45 personnel, has come under fire for its opacity. During a congressional hearing last week, Kerry was asked by Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) to identify individuals who worked in his office, but he refused to do so, citing State Department protocols.
The White House has also been criticized for Kerry's secretive negotiations with China, the world's largest polluter. House Oversight and Accountability Committee chairman James Comer (R-KY) opened an investigation earlier this year into Kerry's activities.
On Wednesday, Kerry announced during a press conference in China that his trip had no yield in terms of agreement on environmental issues.
The legislation being proposed by Rep. Roy and his Republican colleagues would prevent federal funds from going towards Kerry's office effectively cutting off the envoy's access to taxpayer money. Co-sponsors of the bill include Reps. Mary Miller, Paul Gosar, Nancy Mace, Byron Donalds, Scott Perry, Randy Weber, Nathaniel Moran, Matt Rosendale, Andy Biggs, Jeff Duncan, Bob Good, Daniel Webster, Tom Tiffany, Lauren Boebert, Harriet Hageman, Andy Ogles, Nick Langworthy, Thomas Massie, Dan Crenshaw, Anna Paulina Luna, Aaron Bean, Bill Posey, William Timmons, Alex Mooney, and Dan Bishop.