Environmental Safety Company Administrator-designate Lee Zeldin pledged throughout his Senate affirmation listening to Thursday to roll again federal directives whereas nonetheless guarding “human well being and the surroundings.”
In his opening assertion to the Senate Surroundings and Public Works Committee, Zeldin, 44, warned that pink tape was “suffocating the financial system” and promised that if confirmed, he would interact with members of each events in addition to the non-public sector to protect clear air and water
“We should do all the pieces in our energy to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship,” Zeldin mentioned. “We should guarantee we’re defending the environment, whereas additionally defending our financial system.”
The previous Suffolk County lawmaker, additionally touted his historical past of maneuvering bipartisan payments to crack down on air pollution and clear up waterways via Congress.
“My district on the japanese finish of Lengthy Island was distinctive in that it was virtually fully surrounded by water,” Zeldin mentioned. “My constituents took environmental points very severely, and I developed a file in Congress [of] preventing exhausting and with nice success advancing their native priorities.
“I labored throughout occasion traces to protect the Lengthy Island Sound and Plum Island. I supported key laws that turned historic bipartisan success tales just like the Nice American Outdoor Act and Senator [Dan] Sullivan and White Home’s Save Our Seas Act to wash up plastics from our oceans … I used to be proud to do my half to safe these environmental victories.”
When President-elect Donald Trump tapped Zeldin to steer the EPA, he promised his decide had “a really robust authorized background” which “will guarantee truthful and swift deregulatory choices … whereas on the identical time sustaining the best environmental requirements.”
Trump has vowed to extend home oil and fuel manufacturing in his second time period, with extra fracking and liquid pure fuel exports.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — who as soon as vowed to ban fracking whereas a presidential candidate in 2020 — pursued power insurance policies that they claimed would set the US up for net-zero greenhouse fuel emissions by 2050.
Their administration paused export permits for liquified pure fuel, scrapped or stalled new oil and fuel pipelines and tried to bar new permits for drilling on federal land — whereas handing out billions for numerous environmental packages.
“The EPA also needs to higher handle taxpayer {dollars},” Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) mentioned in her opening assertion. “When the EPA focuses on what it does greatest, it doesn’t simply profit the surroundings, it advantages our financial progress.”
Capito additionally drew consideration to the dangers of renewable power, highlighting how studies present “greater than half” of the US “may expertise rolling blackouts within the subsequent decade due to the shortage of dependable energy capability.”
“Spiking power prices and rolling blackouts are an unacceptable truth if the US is to proceed as a worldwide chief,” she added. “I absolutely count on that your affirmation shall be very optimistic.”
Democrats on the panel expressed skepticism, with Rating Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) urgent Zeldin to make sure that he wouldn’t “be merely a rubber stamp for looters and polluters who’re setting the Trump agenda.”
“There isn’t a greenback — massive or small — that may affect the selections that I make, who has entry to me and the way I’m ruling in my obligations below the regulation,” Zeldin answered.
“Properly good luck standing as much as these guys,” Whitehouse responded, “as a result of they’re gonna come at ya.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) additional harped on Trump’s earlier statements about local weather change being a “hoax” — claiming the “apocalyptic” wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this month have been pushed by an excessive climate patterns beforehand.
“I consider that local weather change is actual,” Zeldin informed Sanders,arguing Trump was solely “involved concerning the financial prices of some insurance policies.”
Sanders wasn’t satisfied, citing 2024 as the most popular yr on file globally and alerting the president-elect’s nominee to the “existential menace” posed by rising temperatures, whereas singling out China as the highest international carbon-emitter.
“We’re not going to resolve this disaster with out working with China,” Sanders mentioned.
“Proper now, China is an adversary, in lots of respects,” Zeldin replied, whereas including that he would nonetheless be “in communication” with it and different nations.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) later accused Zeldin of being the fossil gas business’s lapdog.
“The EPA is meant to be an environmental watchdog,” Markey mentioned. “Do you consider it’s crucial that we scale back our reliance on fossil fuels?”
Zeldin responded that ideally the EPA would pursue each the “cleanest” and “greenest” power options.
Zeldin, who left Congress in 2022 to pursue an unsuccessful run for governor of New York, is predicted to be confirmed by the total Senate.
In a attainable good signal for the nomination’s fortune, Sanders had a prepared quip when his telephone rang and interrupted questioning.
“Sorry, that was the fossil gas business,” the Vermonter joked, prompting laughter within the listening to room.