EXCLUSIVE: Top Republican senator blasts Biden for climate ‘hypocrisy’ by sending Climate Czar John Kerry to jet set across the world while ‘demonizing’ fossil fuels

Senator Joni Ernst told DailyMail.com during an exclusive interview that it is a “sign of complete hypocrisy” to allow the Biden administration’s climate czar John Kerry to “fly around the world in a plane.”

Kerry, the US special envoy for climate change and former secretary of state, flew to China this week to hold climate change meetings with the communist country’s top leadership.

Ernst, R-Iowa, said Kerry’s travels violate “all types of fossil fuels, flames and emissions” standards for which he criticizes everyone.

“So I think the climate czar should stay home, focus on his green energy policy.”

“So instead of demonizing fossil fuels, let’s focus more on pushing back against China,” which poses a huge threat to the US, Ernst continued.

Kerry is the third top Biden official to travel to China in recent weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also met with their colleagues.

He said during the trip this week that he’s working to “change our relationship for the better.”

Biden’s top official added that the administration is “deeply committed to stability within this relationship and also to joint efforts that can make a significant difference to the world.”

Kerry and top Chinese official Li Qiang discussed the challenge of global warming for both their nations.

Ernst’s comments come as House Republicans are demanding Kerry’s flight records to find out how much taxpayers may have spent paying the bills for his government jet flights.

GOP Representatives Mike Waltz, Cory Mills and Brian Mast questioned Blinken in a letter obtained by DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

“Chartered military aircraft (MILAIR) flights are much more expensive than commercial flights, and the use of such flights by former presidential cabinet officials has drawn much attention for the misuse of taxpayer-allocated resources,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Did the State Department consider the carbon emissions from using private jets when approving this trip, especially in light of John Kerry’s current mandate?” they asked.

At a hearing last week before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, Kerry defended himself by saying it is an “outrageously persistent lie” that he ever used a private jet to make official trips.

Kerry, who did not deny having ever flown a private jet at the hearing and has said he “may have flown it once”, insisted that he personally never owned a private jet.

“We don’t have a private jet. I don’t have a private jet. I’ve never had a private jet myself.’

However, the Kerry family owned a personal jet – a Gulfstream GIV-SP – which was sold in 2022.

John Kerry and Chinese Premier Li Qiang shake hands before a rally at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on July 18, 2023

House GOP Whip Tom Emmer told DailyMail.com Monday that Kerry, Yellen and Blinken’s trips to China are a sign of government weakness.

“This is a worthless government with incompetent policies,” he added.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., previously called the Biden administration’s plan to send top officials to China a “desperation policy.”

He said Biden’s pattern of meeting opponents rather than imposing consequences for their hostile actions is detrimental to the US on the global stage.

The Florida Republican added that the Biden administration’s solution is to “lectures” on climate change and diversity, which is not conducive to national security.

“I don’t believe in their strategy,” Waltz told DailyMail.com.

Ernst set fire to the Biden administration’s foreign policy, saying the president is “failing” because he is not paying attention to building a strong military, which is critical.

She added that it is important to make sure the US “supports the Ukrainians” amid the country’s war with Russia “as best we can.”

“We also need to turn to Taiwan and make sure we strengthen Taiwan. So if there is a backlash from China, Taiwan can defend itself.”

She said she sees Biden’s announcement to send a 3,000 troop rotation to Eastern Europe as a “typical training rotation” designed to strengthen “our allies and partnerships in Europe” amid the war between Russia and Ukraine.