Senate confirms former NY congressman Lee Zeldin as Trump's EPA administrator
The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm former congressman Lee Zeldin as President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency administrator.
Zeldin, who is expected to pursue a deregulation push at the EPA, was confirmed by a vote of 56 to 42.
Trump wants to rollback environmental rules, declaring when he announced Zeldin as his choice for EPA administrator that he would "ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses."
“We must ensure we are protecting the environment while also protecting our economy,” Zeldin said at his confirmation hearing.
Zeldin, 44, is an attorney and former state senator from Long Island, New York. He spent four years in the Army on active duty, deployed to Iraq and still serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. Elected to Congress in 2014, he served eight years and lost a race for governor of New York in 2022.
Trump has dismissed concerns about climate change. He campaigned heavily against rules promoting electric vehicles and immediately removed the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate after taking office.
Zeldin said at his confirmation hearing that he believes climate change is real, but he has criticized efforts to limit emissions that contribute to warming temperatures. He advocated for lifting New York's ban on fracking for natural gas.
Zeldin is among a number of Trump Cabinet picks who have faced questions about experience. He doesn't have a significant public profile on environmental issues, but has been a staunch supporter of the president, voting against certifying the 2020 election results after Trump lost.