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from The Washington Examiner
Biden’s untouchable climate ‘czars’ worry Congress
by Paul Bedard
January 28, 2021
President Biden’s decision to copy former President Barack Obama’s practice of appointing policy “czars” hidden away from oversight is starting to worry some in Congress.
The first to raise concerns was West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a key player in the climate debate and the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Her concern: Unlike agency heads, “czars” aren’t required to testify before Congress, yet they can wield far more power and influence than a Cabinet secretary.
Biden has so far been more limited in the number of “czars” he’s named than Obama was, but he’s picked two to handle climate: Gina McCarthy will be the domestic climate boss, and John Kerry will handle international climate issues.
The new president has put a major focus on climate change, requiring every agency in government to consider global warming. His appointment of the two czars is a clear signal that it is his No. 1 issue.
At an event hosted by the centrist Republican Ripon Society, Capito praised Biden’s pick for the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan.
Asked about her committee’s oversight plans, key since West Virginia hosts major coal and gas producers that Biden would like to shut down, she said, “We're going to have a very robust oversight authority.”
She added, “We’ve hired folks who know the EPA and have worked there. And that’s going to be very, very helpful. That said, here’s what I'm really worried about. I’ve talked to Michael Regan. He's very easy to talk to. The Farm Bureau loves him. He goes to the stakeholders, and he talks the talk. So he's going to have a major role.”
But she’s worried about McCarthy and Kerry and the transparency in their roles.
“But what role is Gina McCarthy going to have? She's a climate czar. What role is John Kerry going to have? He's the international climate czar. My concern is that I can’t bring a climate czar into my committee and ask them what they're doing. That is a very, very, worrisome dynamic,” Capito said.
SOURCE: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/bidens-untouchable-climate-czars-worry-congress
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The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.