Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for EPA Administrator, pledged to reduce federal regulations during his Senate confirmation hearing. Despite concerns from Democrats, Zeldin emphasized his commitment to safeguarding human health and the environment.
Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump 's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), pledged during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday to roll back federal regulations while still safeguarding human health and the environment.
In his opening statement to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Zeldin, 44, warned that red tape was 'suffocating the economy' and promised that if confirmed, he would engage with members of both parties as well as the private sector to preserve clean air and water. 'We must do everything in our power to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship,' Zeldin said. 'We must ensure we are protecting our environment, while also protecting our economy.' Zeldin emphasized his experience working on environmental issues in Congress, citing his bipartisan efforts to preserve the Long Island Sound and Plum Island, as well as his support for legislation like the Great American Outdoors Act and the Save Our Seas Act. 'I worked across party lines to preserve the Long Island Sound and Plum Island,' Zeldin said. 'I supported key legislation that became historic bipartisan success stories like the Great American Outdoors Act and Senator Sullivan and White House’s Save Our Seas Act to clean up plastics from our oceans … I was proud to do my part to secure these environmental victories.' President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who had vowed to ban fracking during their 2020 presidential campaign, pursued energy policies aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These policies included promoting liquefied natural gas, scrapping or stalling new oil and gas pipelines, and attempting to bar new drilling permits on federal land, while allocating billions for various environmental programs. Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) praised Zeldin's work on 'critical environmental policies that helped his Long Island district' and emphasized the need for the EPA to 'better manage taxpayer dollars.' She also highlighted the risks of renewable energy, pointing to reports that 'more than half' of the US 'could experience rolling blackouts in the next decade because of the lack of reliable power capacity.' 'Spiking energy costs and rolling blackouts are an unacceptable fact if the US is to continue as a global leader,' Capito added.Democrats on the committee expressed skepticism, with Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) pressing Zeldin to ensure he wouldn't be 'merely a rubber stamp for looters and polluters who are setting the Trump agenda.' Zeldin responded that 'there is no dollar — large or small — that can influence the decisions that I make, who has access to me and how I am ruling in my obligations under the law.' Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) questioned Zeldin on climate change, citing the 'apocalyptic' wildfires in Los Angeles earlier that month as evidence of extreme weather patterns. Zeldin acknowledged the reality of climate change but argued that Trump was primarily 'concerned about the economic costs of some policies.' Sanders remained unconvinced, pointing to 2024 as the hottest year on record globally and highlighting the 'existential threat' posed by rising temperatures. He also singled out China as the top global carbon emitter. Zeldin replied that while China is an 'adversary' in many respects, he would still maintain 'communication' with it and other nations. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) questioned Zeldin's stance on fossil fuels, asking if he believed reducing reliance on them was imperative.
LEE ZELDIN EPA ENVIRONMENT REGULATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE DONALD TRUMP SENATE CONFIRMATION
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