Consider who was asking the question: a Republican legislator with an axe to grind.

Now for the plot twist:

At last year’s COP27 climate summit in Egypt, the U.S. joined other nations in committing to a “loss and damages” fund for developing countries affected by climate change. However, unlike a reparations program, that fund is not considered compensatory and does not involve specific countries conceding legal liability

When Kerry said “No”, he meant “Yes, but technically no.”