In a recent Senate Budget Committee hearing, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) demonstrated his renowned wit and incisiveness, as he questioned a young Olympic skier, Gus Schumacher, who had been invited to testify as an expert on "The Nature of Climate Costs."
The hearing, which took place on Wednesday, saw Schumacher struggle to respond to Kennedy's probing questions, revealing a lack of understanding on the subject matter.
As reported by Outkick.com, Budget Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) had invited Schumacher to the hearing. However, the 23-year-old athlete found himself in a challenging position when Kennedy began his line of questioning. The situation escalated when Kennedy brought to light some controversial quotes from Schumacher, revealing his left-wing activism.
The exchange began with Kennedy asking Schumacher, "What is carbon dioxide?" The skier responded with a basic definition, seemingly underestimating the depth of Kennedy's question. The Senator pressed for more information, leaving Schumacher visibly stumped.
The dialogue between the two went as follows:
Schumacher (chuckling): "I went to high school, but carbon dioxide is a gas. Im not a professional to talk about carbon dioxide so much."
Kennedy: "Youre here as an expert. Tell me more about what carbon dioxide is."
Schumacher: "Carbon dioxide is what I see it as, you know, a gas that exists in our atmosphere."
Kennedy: "Is it a major part of our atmosphere?"
Schumacher: "Its a huge part of our atmosphere."
Kennedy: "Its actually a very small part of our atmosphere."
Schumacher: "Well, okay. But, yeah. I dont know."
Kennedy then asked Schumacher about potential measures America could take to reduce fossil fuel usage. Schumacher suggested the country could utilize more renewable energy sources. However, when Kennedy asked for specifics on the amount the U.S. should invest in renewable fuels and the timeline for reducing carbon emissions, Schumacher was left baffled, admitting, "Im not an economist."
The skier was eventually forced to concede that he was uncertain whether investing trillions in renewable energy would effectively combat climate change. "I dont think anyone knows for sure," he admitted.
Kennedy also brought up some of Schumacher's old tweets, revealing his left-wing activism and anti-police sentiments. One tweet from June 8, 2020, read: "The war on drugs was intentionally created to incarcerate black people en masse." When asked to respond, Schumacher claimed he did not recall posting it.
Another tweet quoted a protester on August 27, 2020, stating, "Police are paid w/taxpayer $$$. If they are not answerable to us, we can demand new service & thats what this is. #AbolishThePolice in favor of that new service."
Kennedy asked, "You think we ought to abolish the police? Should we do that before or after we get rid of fossil fuels?" Schumacher refused to respond, stating, "Im not going to address that."
The exchange between Kennedy and Schumacher underscores the importance of expertise and understanding in discussions about complex issues such as climate change. It also highlights the potential pitfalls of inviting individuals to testify as experts based on their public profile rather than their knowledge and experience in the subject matter.
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