The exact date of Kerry’s departure has not yet been set, although it will probably be between late February and late April, the people said. Kerry is still scheduled to attend the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, and he is traveling to the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.
Kerry, who turned 80 during the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Dubai last month, helped clinch a landmark agreement at the summit. For the first time, the deal calls for phasing out fossil fuels, the primary driver of rising temperatures around the globe.
It is unclear who would replace Kerry, who previously served as secretary of state during the Obama administration and as a senator from Massachusetts. His two top deputies at the State Department, Sue Biniaz and Rick Duke, would probably face a bruising confirmation process in the Senate, especially if Republicans retake the chamber in the November elections.
A provision in the 2022 defense policy bill requires the Senate to confirm special envoys reporting to the State Department. Kerry was not subject to Senate confirmation before the provision took effect.
This is a developing story and will be updated.