AP Photo/Rebecca Droke
Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin was tapped by President-Elect Donald Trump to run the Environmental Protection Agency.
The announcement came via Trump’s transition team on Monday and touted Zeldin’s support for “America First” policies. Zeldin represented New York’s first congressional district from 2015 to 2023; he stepped down to run for governor and lost to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). He has been a longtime supporter of Trump.
The announcement read:
As the 45th & 47th President of the United States, I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Congressman from New York, Lee Zeldin, will be appointed to serve as The Administrator of The United States Environmental Protective Agency (EPA). Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies. He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet. He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.
I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time, and have watched him handle, brilliantly, some extremely difficult and complex situations. I am very proud to have him in the Trump Administration, where he will quickly prove to be a great contributor!
The League of Conservation Voters — which tracks Congress’s voting records on environmental issues — gave Zeldin a score of 14 percent. He has broken with Trump on the environment in the past, including disagreeing on the population’s role in climate change and opposing Trump’s proposal to open up offshore drilling off the coast of Long Island.
