The new administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, recently made significant decisions regarding the allocation of taxpayer funds and identified instances of wasteful spending within the agency.
Zeldin announced the cancellation of a $50 million environmental justice grant to the Climate Justice Alliance, citing the organization's stance on climate justice and Palestine as a reason for the cancellation. He expressed concern that American taxpayers would not support funding a group with such views.
In addition to canceling the grant, Zeldin highlighted the mismanagement of funds by the Biden administration, including a $160 million payment to a Canadian electric bus manufacturer. The full amount was sent upfront, leading to the company declaring bankruptcy without delivering $95 million worth of school buses to 55 school districts.
Zeldin's team also uncovered $20 billion in taxpayer funds that were wasted intentionally by the Biden administration. He referenced a video featuring a Biden EPA political appointee discussing the rush to spend tax dollars before President Trump took office, likening it to 'tossing gold bars off the Titanic.'
The EPA administrator revealed plans to recover the identified funds parked at an outside financial institution. Meanwhile, President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is working to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse across government agencies.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner announced the establishment of the DOGE Task Force at HUD, emphasizing the commitment to rooting out inefficiencies and saving taxpayer money. The task force has already identified $260 million in savings under President Trump's leadership.
