Former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The announcement was made on Monday, with Trump describing Zeldin as “a true fighter for America First policies.”
Zeldin, a four-term Republican from Long Island, expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating, “It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator.
We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
The appointment is expected to face Senate confirmation, which is likely to proceed smoothly given the Republican majority in the chamber starting in January. However, environmental groups have already criticized the decision, with Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous calling Zeldin “an unqualified, anti-American worker who opposes efforts to safeguard our clean air and water.”
Zeldin’s goals as EPA Administrator include rolling back regulations that he claims have hampered American businesses.
Trump taps Zeldin for EPA leadership
“There are regulations that the left wing of this country have been advocating through regulatory power that ends up causing businesses to go in the wrong direction,” he asserted in an interview. This appointment could signal Trump’s intent to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, both significant environmental and climate policies of the previous administration under President Joe Biden.
The Act commits substantial funding to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which Zeldin and other Republicans opposed during their time in Congress. Zeldin currently chairs the China policy initiative at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. His performance in the 2022 gubernatorial race, where he lost to Democrat Kathy Hochul, was seen by some Republicans as instrumental in helping flip four House seats in New York.
The selection of Zeldin marks one of the latest appointments for Trump’s upcoming administration, following the naming of his campaign manager as White House chief of staff and an immigration hard-liner as “border czar.” The move is expected to have significant implications for the direction of U.S. environmental policy in the coming years.
