Moderate Senate Democrats were silent this week when Fox News Digital asked for comment on President Biden’s decision to appoint a successor to Environment Secretary John Kerry without Senate confirmation.
In an announcement late last month, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Kelly would soon be stepping down from his post at the State Department and that clean energy mogul John Podesta would take on his new role in “Global Climate Change.” “We will continue to lead efforts towards this,” he said. The world will transition to green energy. But the White House announced that Podesta would take on the role of senior adviser to the president on international climate policy.
Kerry is resigning as special presidential envoy for climate change (SPEC), but Biden has not named a direct replacement, Kerry’s staff will report to another State Department official, and Podesta will be appointed SPEC official from the White House. This will lead to policy adjustments. The deal technically leaves the SPEC role vacant, allowing Podesta to avoid Congress-mandated Senate confirmation.
“With Secretary Kelly’s departure, the existing SPEC state teams will report directly to Rich Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “John will continue to work closely with the State Department, overseeing the White House’s Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Deployment.”
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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said last month that White House clean energy czar John Podesta (left) has been appointed to “continue to lead the global climate change effort.” . Podesta will effectively replace John Kerry, the presidential special envoy for climate change. (Getty Images)
Immediately after taking office in 2021, Mr. Biden appointed Mr. Kelly to the first-ever SPEC committee. The role earned him a spot on the president’s cabinet and the National Security Council, but did not require a Senate confirmation vote.
But partly because of Kelly’s appointment, Congress passed a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which Biden signed into law in December 2021, that says, “The president may appoint special envoys to the State Department without the advice and consent of the Senate.” “Forbidden.” ”
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Several moderate Democrats, including Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., have opposed the White House’s bid to avoid Podesta’s Senate confirmation. Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania; Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who is caucusing with Democrats, as well as Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen, were all silent. Lawmakers either ignored or declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.) did not respond to a request for comment.
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. Bob Casey, R-Pennsylvania; Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown was silent when asked about Podesta’s appointment. (Getty Images)
Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, “Appointed administration officials who rely heavily on State Department staff and resources are the ones in Congress that have jurisdiction over the country, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” They should be accountable to the committee.” he told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“It’s not unheard of for someone to serve in the White House to be confirmed by the Senate,” he added. “If the Biden administration wants to make the role of senior international climate policy advisor effective, it should send Mr. Podesta’s nomination to this committee for consideration.”
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Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) added that Mr. Biden knows that Mr. Podesta will not survive Senate confirmation.
“John Podesta is a clone of John Kerry. He will further spread the same attack on American energy,” Barrasso told Fox News Digital. “He will protect China’s status as a free rider in international agreements on climate change. Joe Biden knows Podesta’s radical ideas will never survive the scrutiny of Senate confirmation.”
Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (left), and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (right), approve Senate confirmation. He criticized Mr. Biden’s decision to appoint Mr. Podesta without receiving any prior knowledge. (Getty Images)
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee, also noted that Podesta has a documented history with officials connected to the Chinese Communist Party. .
“John Podesta runs a think tank funded by big tech companies, has worked for years on behalf of climate change activists in underground finance, and has given Chinese Communist Party officials ‘the utmost respect.’ Hawley told FOX News Digital. “This person should not be anywhere near the federal government, so it’s no surprise that the Biden administration wants to avoid Senate confirmation and public attention to their terrible nomination.”
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Podesta met with Dong Zhehe, the longtime vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, multiple times in 2015 and 2016, according to emails previously seen by Fox News Digital. He also interacted with Chinese officials several years ago, when he headed the Center for American Progress, a think tank he founded in 2003, and even called him a “friend from Hong Kong.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) said Podesta “shouldn’t be anywhere near the federal government.” (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Since taking the SPEC position, Mr. Kerry has traveled the world, attending high-profile climate change summits and diplomatic engagements to advance the global transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives.But his office remains intact. I keep quiet about internal affairs. The staff’s comments have sparked criticism from lawmakers who are calling for greater transparency.
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The SPEC office is housed within the State Department and has an estimated annual budget of $13.9 million and the authorization of 45 employees, most of whom are unknown.
Mr. Biden appointed Mr. Podesta in September 2022 to lead the implementation of the multibillion-dollar green energy program funding established in the Inflation Control Act. Mr. Podesta then staffed his office with several left-wing climate change activists.
