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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 Kerry’s exchange:

Massie: Sec. Kerry, I want to read part of your statement back to you: “Instead of convening a kangaroo court, the president might want to talk with the educated adults he once trusted his top national security positions.” It sounds like you’re questioning the credentials of the president’s advisers, currently. But I think we should question your credentials today. Isn’t 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 it’s a liberal arts education and degree. It’s a bachelor


Massie: OK. So it’s not really science. So I think it’s 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. You’re calling the president’s Cabinet a “kangaroo court.” Is that serious?

Kerry: I’m not calling his Cabinet a kangaroo court, I’m calling this committee that he’s putting together a kangaroo committee.

Massie: Are you saying it doesn’t have educated adults now?

Kerry: I don’t know who it has yet because it’s secret.

Massie: Well you said it in your testimony.

Kerry: Why would he have to have a secret analysis of climate change?

Massie: Let’s get back to the science of it.

Kerry: But it’s not science, you’re not quoting science!

Massie: Well, You’re 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.

PC: Wikimedia Commons

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