- The Washington Times - Tuesday, January 16, 2024

The White House confirmed Tuesday that John Kerry will leave the administration after serving for three years as President Biden’s climate envoy.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr. Kerry, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, will depart in “the upcoming months.”

Mr. Kerry is expected to join Mr. Biden’s reelection campaign, according to Axios, which first reported Mr. Kerry’s planned departure.

Mr. Kerry and Mr. Biden delivered the “most ambitious climate agenda in history,” according to Ms. Jean-Pierre, who pointed to U.S. leadership on the global stage and marquee 2022 legislation to fund green projects.

House Republicans have criticized his office for a lack of transparency on how he spends taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Kerry recently attended a COP26 global summit in Dubai in which nations forged a non-binding commitment to move away from fossil fuels.

Ms. Jean-Pierre said she could not say at this point who might replace Mr. Kerry.

“The work to address the climate crisis will continue,” she said.

Mr. Kerry sees Mr. Biden’s reelection as critical to shoring up U.S. climate policy, as former President Donald Trump vows to pivot away from global climate agreements and Mr. Biden’s rush toward electric vehicles.

• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

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