On the recordJanuary 17, 2024
I rise today in light of the news that John Kerry, America's climate czar, will soon be leaving his post. Mr. Kerry's exit presents, I think, us with an opportunity to comprehensively reexamine the Biden administration's record on energy and the environment. For 3 years now while Mr. Kerry has been there, we have had energy regulation after energy regulation, climate mandate after climate mandate; and President Biden has clearly and unapologetically put the American people last. His Cabinet Secretaries and unelected staff members from the State Department to the EPA, from the White House to the U.S. Department of Transportation, have followed his lead. They have pushed an unworkable, untenable agenda meant to appease the global climate community and environmental activists alike. The problem is that these goals and proposals are completely detached from reality. Well, let's just start with Mr. Kerry's recent comments: There shouldn't be any more coal-fired power plants permitted anywhere in the world. Followed by him signing an international pledge to do just that. Well, that is a big statement for someone in his position, yet he has outlined no plan to replace this baseload energy source that is critical to our Nation and, really, critical around the world, especially in these winter months on days like we see today and this past week where we have had record freezing--and below-freezing-- temperatures.…
