President Joe Biden‘s climate czar John Kerry lashed out on Thursday at a Republican lawmaker who made a jest about flying on private jets.
During a hearing held by a House subcommittee, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) began a line of inquiry about Chinese solar panels by addressing the witness, Kerry, with a quip. “I hope it wasn’t too problematic for your operational team and your private jet to get here,” he said.
Toward the end of their exchange, Kerry returned to the comment about private jets, a sore topic for him and other world leaders pushing a campaign against global warming.
“I just don’t agree with your facts, which began with the presentation of one of the most outrageously persistent lies that I hear, which is this private jet,” Kerry said. “We don’t own a private jet. I don’t own a private jet. I personally have never owned a private jet. And obviously it’s pretty stupid to talk about coming in a private jet from the State Department up here. Honestly, if that’s where you want to go, go there.”
John Kerry: "We don't own a private jet. I don't own a private jet. I've personally have never owned a private jet. And, obviously, it's pretty stupid to talk about coming in a private jet from the State Department up here. Honestly, if that's where you want to go, go there!" pic.twitter.com/yEOmMsfoKK
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2023
Kerry faced follow-up questions from Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), who reminded the witness he was under oath as the lawmaker entered into the record a Fox News report from February that said Kerry’s family sold their private jet, a Gulfstream GIV-SP, to a New York based-hedge fund after it made headlines for how many trips it took and its estimated hundreds of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions since the start of the Biden administration.
REP. WALTZ: "You just testified under oath that you never owned a private jet…"
CLIMATE ENVOY JOHN KERRY: "My wife owned a plane. […] I do not fly on a private jet. I fly commercially…"
REP. WALTZ: "Have you flown a private jet in a personal or official capacity since… pic.twitter.com/4aIzab8Yev
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 13, 2023
Asked if he stood by his testimony, Kerry said that his wife, Heinz ketchup fortune heiress Teresa Heinz, “owned a plane.” Kerry said he mainly takes commercial flights, but did acknowledge taking some military flights and a trip on a private jet “possibly once” in a personal or official capacity since taking on the role as climate czar roughly two and a half years ago.
Pushing back on the suggestion that Americans would see hypocrisy that undercuts the fight against climate change, Kerry added, “We’re not asking Americans not to fly. You’re trying to create an unequal thing. We’re not saying, ‘Don’t fly.'” Kerry also said he would be “happy” to provide Congress with records about his official, taxpayer-funded travel.