President-elect Trump has chosen former Representative Lee Zeldin (RN.Y.) to head the Environmental Protection Agency, making him the second New Yorker and supporter to join his Cabinet.
“I am pleased to announce that Lee Zeldin, a highly respected former congressman from New York, will be appointed Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” President Trump said in a statement.
“Mr. Lee has a very strong legal background and is a true fighter for America First,” Trump added.
Zeldin is expected to consider rolling back environmental regulations as part of the Trump administration, something the president hinted at in a statement.
He said Zeldin will “ensure fair and swift deregulation decisions are implemented in a way that unlocks the power of American companies while maintaining the highest environmental standards.”
“I am honored to join President Trump's Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” Zeldin said in a post on social platform X on Monday.
“We will restore America's energy advantage, revitalize the auto industry and bring back American jobs, and make America the world leader in AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water. I intend to,” he added.
Zeldin said in an interview with Fox News that in his first 100 days, the Trump administration will “roll back regulations that are making businesses struggle.”
Trump did not say which regulations he would target, but said he has “rattled around 15, 20 different priorities.”
2014, ZeldinreportedlyAs for climate change, “I'm still not sold on the whole argument that we have just as much of a problem as everyone else.”
But he was a member of it.Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.
However, he is not considered an environmental activist. Zeldin's lifetime score is14 percentFrom the League of Conservation Voters, which rates politicians based on how often they vote to protect the environment.
Zeldin, 44, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023. He was one of Trump's chief defenders when the former president was first impeached in 2019.
Zeldin is not seeking re-election in 2022, instead running for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's (Democratic) seat.
Although he lost the race by about 6 percentage points, he outperformed Republicans in past elections in the all-blue state.
He joins Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) as the second New Yorker so far in Trump's new Cabinet. Stefanik will serve as the U.S. representative to the United Nations.
Both positions require Senate confirmation.
In a statement announcing him leading the EPA, the Trump campaign said Zeldin's “strong performance at the top helped Republicans flip multiple congressional districts in suburban New York, resulting in a Republican majority in the House.” We were able to obtain that.''
Mr. Zeldin last year launched a political action committee aimed at helping Republican candidates reach out to young voters, voters of color and Jewish voters, districts that have historically been heavily Democratic.
During his time in Congress, Mr. Zeldin served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Financial Services Committee, but each had limited influence over environmental policy.
Nevertheless, the Sierra Club, an influential environmental advocacy group, criticized his appointment on policy grounds and called him “unqualified.”
“Creating the names of unqualified, anti-American workers who oppose efforts to protect our clean air and water threatens our health, our communities, our jobs, and our future. “It once again exposes Donald Trump's intent to sell out to corporate polluters,” one person said. Written statement from Ben Jealous, executive director of the group.
Updated at 5:20pm EST
