Congressman Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called out former Secretary of State John Kerry on his lack of scientific credentials during a House Oversight Committee hearing on climate change and national security. Many on the left have been ridiculing him for this line of questioning, but was he right?
Here is the transcript of Rep. Massie and Kerryâs exchange:
Massie: Sec. Kerry, I want to read part of your statement back to you: âInstead of convening a kangaroo court, the president might want to talk with the educated adults he once trusted his top national security positions.â It sounds like youâre questioning the credentials of the presidentâs advisers, currently. But I think we should question your credentials today. Isnât it true you have a science degree from Yale?
Kerry: Bachelor of arts degree.
Massie: Is it a political science degree?
Kerry: Yes, political science.
Massie: So how do you get a bachelor of arts, in a science?
Kerry: Well itâs a liberal arts education and degree. Itâs a bachelorâŠ
Massie: OK. So itâs not really science. So I think itâs somewhat appropriate that someone with a pseudo-science degree is here pushing pseudo-science in front of our committee today.
Kerry: Are you serious?! I mean this is really a serious happening here?
Massie: You know what? It is serious. Youâre calling the presidentâs Cabinet a âkangaroo court.â Is that serious?
Kerry: Iâm not calling his Cabinet a kangaroo court, Iâm calling this committee that heâs putting together a kangaroo committee.
Massie: Are you saying it doesnât have educated adults now?
Kerry: I donât know who it has yet because itâs secret.
Massie: Well you said it in your testimony.
Kerry: Why would he have to have a secret analysis of climate change?
Massie: Letâs get back to the science of it.
Kerry: But itâs not science, youâre not quoting science!
Massie: Well, Youâre the science expert. You have the political science degree.
The exchange continued later when Kerry tweeted:
However, Rep. Massie was quick to respond:
We should be able to have bipartisan agreement that while political science degrees are great in the proper context, they are not the proper credentials to tout when talking about ACTUAL science. Maybe Kerry should take a look at his own credentials before he questions the credentials of others.