The Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York to be the administrator of the EPA by a vote of 56-42.
Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, both of Arizona, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined all Republicans voting in favor of his nomination. Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Jon Ossoff of Georgia did not vote.
Zeldin said the agency must protect the environment “without suffocating the economy” during his confirmation hearing this month. Under Trump, the EPA is expected to roll back a number of Biden administration regulations, such as those governing releases from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants and vehicle emissions.
Zeldin’s confirmation was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works committee last week by a vote of 11-8, with Kelly the only Democrat to support his nomination.
Zeldin told the panel he would closely follow laws such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. He also said the agency must “be better stewards of tax dollars, honor cooperative federalism, and be transparent and accountable to Congress and the public.”
These statements reflect Republican criticism that the EPA’s budget ballooned under President Joe Biden, largely because of one-time appropriations through the climate, tax and health care reconciliation law.
Zeldin was first elected to the House in 2014 to represent a district on New York’s Long Island, a seat he held until he unsuccessfully ran against Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022. During his tenure, he was a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees.
As a member of Congress, Zeldin did not focus on environmental issues, although during his tenure he did join with Democrats to call for action on protecting against harms from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
During his confirmation hearing, Zeldin said addressing PFAS would be a “top priority.” Trump was accused of slow-walking action on PFAS during his first term, and lawmakers and industry groups have encouraged the administration to revisit these standards.
Before the vote, Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Zeldin would reverse the Biden administration’s actions, which Barrasso characterized as a “reckless regulatory rampage.”
“I support sensible environmental stewardship, and that’s what we will have with Mr. Zeldin,” Barrasso said. “Americans deserve clean water and clean air; they deserve good jobs and economic strength.”
While Zeldin said “climate change is real” during his confirmation hearing, Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said it was necessary to have an EPA administrator who’s willing to stand up to political pressure from the White House and fossil fuel companies.
“I have nothing against Lee Zeldin personally, but the likelihood of him standing against that fossil fuel bulldozer that is coming at him is essentially zero,” Whitehouse said. “In that context, this is very much the wrong guy.”
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