Interesting move and office location in yet another election year. In 2022, Joe Biden appointed John Podesta as the “Clean Energy Czar,” essentially giving him control over doling out the $326 billion in Green New Deal, aka “Inflation Reduction Act,” money provided by Congress. At least that was the pretense of the purpose.
The actual agenda for Podesta, in 2022, appeared to be using the $316 billion GND money fund leftist support networks of the Biden administration in the midterm election cycle. Now we enter another election year, and Podesta is being given a new title to assume the role of John Kerry as Biden’s latest “Climate Diplomat” as soon as Kerry exits this spring.
In an interesting datapoint that highlights both the domestic (election ’24) and foreign policy political motivations, John Podesta will work out of the White House and not the State Dept where Kerry’s current office is located. John “Skippy” Podesta had no experience in “climate policy” prior to being tapped as the climate czar in 2022. Then again, none was needed considering the non-pretending version of his responsibility.
It will be interesting to see how expanded this effort will be as the replacement to Kerry. In my opinion, the move is about a change in title only, as the “inflation” part of the Green New Deal payment system doesn’t poll well with the American people. Continued rampant inflation, despite the ‘inflation reduction act’ is a hot button issue. Changing the title allows the process to continue albeit under a different guise.
WASHINGTON – White House adviser John Podesta has been tapped to be the Biden administration’s top climate diplomat once John Kerry steps down from his post this spring, a person familiar with the move told POLITICO.
Podesta is currently overseeing the implementation of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ signature climate law. The Washington Post first reported Podesta’s new role.
Podesta will reportedly operate out of the White House rather than the State Department, where Kerry, a former Secretary of State, maintains an office. Podesta will also maintain his role overseeing the IRA rollout.
The veteran Democratic strategist has a long history in climate politics, including on the international stage. Podesta will be the U.S. face at the COP29 negotiations later this year in Baku, Azerbaijan.
But those international talks will come after the November U.S. election. That leaves U.S. positioning uncertain if President Joe Biden should lose to Republican frontrunner former President Donald Trump, who pulled the nation out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement when he was in the White House. (read more)