The Washington-Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Lee Zeldin on Wednesday to lead the environmental protection agency, an important role to help President Donald Trump fulfill his vow to bring back his prominent environmental rules, in which, in which, in which Slow climate change and encourage the use of electric vehicles. ,
The vote was 56–42 in favor of Zeldin. Three Democrats – Sensors. Ruben Gallego and Arizona’s Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman – with all 53 Republicans, supported Zeldin.
Zeldin, a former Republican Congressman in New York, has been a long -time Trump associate and serve in Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment. He voted against President Joe Biden against Trump’s 2020 election deficit.
The 44 -year -old Zeldin said during his confirmation that he has a moral responsibility to be a good steward of the environment and promises to support the career employees who have themselves to the agency mission to protect human health and environment. Has dedicated.
Zeldin repeatedly refused to commit to specific policies, however, promised the results instead of not biased before reaching the EPA. When asked by Nebraska’s Republican Sen Pete Rickets whether he would withdraw the programs promoting electric cars – a program Trump has repeatedly criticized – Zeldin remained unclear but he admitted that he had heard Republican complaints.
Trump, during his first term, led efforts to end more than 100 environmental security and promised to do so that he incorrectly labels an electric vehicle “mandate” and “Green New Scam” approved by Democrats. Is.
Trump, who has called climate change a deception, has vowed to reverse the former President who Biden’s biggest climate achievements, including the telpipe rules for vehicles and pollution from the power plants extracted by coal and natural gas. is reduced. Trump has already excluded career employees in EPA and other agencies, removes scientific advisors and closes an office that helps minority communities that struggle with polluted air and water.
Democratic Sen. The Sheldon Whitehouse of Road Island called Zeldin a wrong man for a job.
“We need an EPA administrator who will take climate change seriously, behave science honestly and necessary for political pressure coming from the White House where we have a president who really thinks ( Climate change) A deception is the Whitehouse said in a Senate speech, and from the huge fossil fuel forces, who took them to the office with large -scale political money and who now think that they own this place.
Trump is under the thumb of the fossil fuel industry, “the Whitehouse said, the EPA administrator will” have to “truth and factual and support and our safety from our environment and climate change.”
They personally have nothing against Zeldin, the Whitehouse said, “But the possibility of standing against that fossil fuel bulldozer is essentially zero. And in that context, it is a very wrong man. ,
Sen John Bairaso, R-EO., Said Zeldin will return EPA to its original mission of America’s air, water and land protecting-“Without suffocation of the economy.”
Bairaso called Zeldin “a lifelong public servant” and a fast legal mind with an experienced lawyer and a military service of over 20 years.
Bairaso said that the Zeldin would continue Trump’s “Mission punishment, political rules” in the EPA, look at “cut red tape” and “a new wave of creativity and innovation”.
“For the last four years, the so -called experts of the Environmental Protection Agency moved to a careless regulatory rampage,” Bairaso said referring to the Biden administration. “They hurt American families and businesses with high cost and heavy sanctions. He tilted climate extremism and ignored general knowledge. ,
Zeldin “will correct the ship and restore the balance in the EPA,” Bairaso said, the elimination of federal subsidies for electric vehicles as well as potential tasks to cancel the rules of biden-era on telpipe emissions and power plants with citing a reference.
A national environment advocacy group, the league of conservation voters, has carried forward the environmental record of Zeldin’s lifetime, giving them a 14% score. At that time, like all the Republicans, he voted against the 2022 inflation reduction act with the aim of promoting renewable energy and manufacturing and fighting climate change.
Zeldin supported a bill to reduce the chemicals called PFAS forever, which would require EPA to determine the range of substances in drinking water. He was also a prominent proposer of the 2020 Great American Outdoor Act who used oil and gas royalty to help the National Park Service deal with his massive maintenance backlogs. He has also supported local protection efforts on Long Island.
Zeldin said in his January 16 hearing that he wants to cooperate with the private sector “to promote general knowledge, smart regulation that would allow American innovation to continue to lead the world.”
The EPA under his leadership would prioritize compliance as much as possible, “Zeldin said. “I believe in the rule of law and I want to work with people to ensure that they share their share to protect the environment.”