The Senate has voted to confirm Lee Zeldin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Zeldin was confirmed with a 56 to 42 vote.
56-42: Senate advanced President Trump's nomination of former NY GOP Congressman Lee Zeldin to be EPA Administrator. 3 Democrats Gallego (AZ), Kelly (AZ) and Fetterman (PA) voted Yes with all Republicans. Booker and Ossoff did not vote. pic.twitter.com/PJWLbtpxfN
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) January 29, 2025
Trump announced Zeldin’s nomination in November, shortly after winning the 2024 presidential election. The nominee served as a U.S. representative from New York between 2015 and 2023.
Zeldin’s hearing took place on January 16. He vowed to strike a balance between upholding the agency’s mission to protect the environment while promoting economic growth.
Naturally, the nominee faced intense scrutiny from Democratic senators who were concerned about his voting record on environmental issues and his refusal to accept the progressive narrative on climate change.
The Inflation Reduction Act came up at one point during the proceedings, with Zeldin indicating he would investigate how its funds are being dispersed.
The IRA is one of President Joe Biden's signature accomplishments and provides significant funding for combating climate change and expanding clean energy production.
"The EPA must be better stewards of tax dollars, honor cooperative federalism and be transparent and accountable to Congress and the public," Zeldin said during his opening statement before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "We can and we must protect our precious environment without suffocating the economy."
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted 11-8 to advance Zeldin’s nomination to the full Senate on January 23.
During his confirmation process, Zeldin vowed to roll back regulations favored by Democrats who claim they will protect the environment, especially in the auto and energy production industries.
I know farmers and ranchers in South Dakota would have appreciated a seat at the table before the Biden administration resurrected the harmful WOTUS rule.
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) January 29, 2025
I’m pleased that Lee Zeldin is focused on bringing a collaborative approach to the EPA. pic.twitter.com/j3lsQQ1H1H
Conversely, Zeldin argued that rolling back regulations would “unleash economic prosperity” because these restrictions serve as obstacles to businesses becoming successful.
In a Fox News interview on Monday, shortly after his selection was announced, Zeldin made clear that the president-elect has given him a long list of regulations to roll back.
“The president was talking about unleashing economic prosperity through the EPA,” Zeldin said. “There are regulations that the left wing of this country have been advocating through regulatory power that end up causing businesses to go in the wrong direction. And President Trump, when he called me up, gosh, he was rattling off 15, 20, different priorities.”
The agency that has spent the past four years spearheading policy to cut greenhouse gas pollution throughout the U.S. economy would shift gears within “the first 100 days,” said Zeldin, into becoming a vehicle for Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda.
Zeldin also argued in favor of American energy dominance as a top priority, criticizing regulations for hampering the growth of the oil and gas industries.
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