Gage Skidmore via Wikipedia
CV NEWS FEED // President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced that he is nominating former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-NY, to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the incoming administration.
Zeldin, a lawyer and U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, represented New York’s first congressional district in eastern Long Island for four terms from 2015 to 2023.
In 2022, the conservative former lawmaker was the Republican nominee for governor of New York – losing by just six points in the deep-blue state to incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies,” Trump wrote in a statement on TRUTH Social.
“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,” Trump continued.
“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,” the president-elect added:
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!
Zeldin accepted Trump’s nomination on X (formerly Twitter) Monday afternoon, stating: “It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator.”
“We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI,” Zeldin emphasized. “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”
Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Rapid Response Director Steve Guest praised Trump’s choice of Zeldin on X.
“Zeldin is a fantastic pick to lead on the environment,” Guest wrote. “Earlier this year he led the fight against against the left’s radical climate agenda.”
Fellow Republican communicator Matt Whitlock agreed, calling the selection of Zeldin a “strong pick.”
“Zeldin has been a great leader on fighting crazy climate regulations – like when New York started suing meat producers for not following climate regs the NY government itself wasn’t even following,” Whitlock wrote.
The New York Post reported:
Zeldin is also due to have a hand in the regulation of new power facilities and transmission lines needed for artificial intelligence — while overseeing billions in funding for environmental programs passed under Biden, such as the EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to encourage private-sector transition away from fossil fuels.
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Zeldin will serve in the Cabinet alongside Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), whom Trump announced Sunday night as his UN ambassador. Both Zeldin and Stefanik served on Trump’s ceremonial defense team during his first impeachment trial in 2020.
Zeldin is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, which the Republicans regained control over with a majority of 53 seats in last week’s election.
