Lee Zeldin Confirmed to Lead Trump's Environmental Protection Agency

January 30, 2025

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by Aubrie Spady (Fox News) The Senate voted Wednesday afternoon to confirm Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency -- The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm former Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the government's leading agency on environmental rules and regulations.

President Donald Trump tapped Zeldin, who previously served as a congressman from New York's 1st Congressional District from 2015 to 2023, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under his administration. During his tenure in Congress, Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, launched a campaign for governor in New York, when he trailed only five percentage points in the largely Democratic state.

Zeldin underwent a confirmation hearing earlier this month, when he was questioned on climate change by members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

In a 56 to 42 vote on Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Zeldin to head the EPA in a final floor vote on his nomination. READ MORE

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Excerpt from Washington Post: The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a key role to help President Donald Trump fulfill his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles.

The vote was 56-42 in Zeldin’s favor. Three Democrats — Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — supported Zeldin, along with all 53 Republicans.

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Three Democrats — Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona — joined Republicans in voting to confirm Zeldin.

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But Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said he worried that Zeldin would not stand up to lobbying from the fossil fuel industry to weaken environmental protections.

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Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, has vowed to overturn former President Joe Biden’s biggest climate accomplishments, including tailpipe regulations for vehicles and slashed pollution from power plants fired by coal and natural gas. Trump has already moved to oust career staff at EPA and other agencies, remove scientific advisers and close an office that helps minority communities that disproportionately struggle with polluted air and water. READ MORE

Excerpt from Renewable Fuels Association: ... Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following statement on Mr. Zeldin’s confirmation:

“We congratulate Lee Zeldin on his confirmation today and look forward to working together to implement President Trump’s vision for unleashing American energy, bolstering economic security, creating jobs, and supporting our nation’s farmers. As noted during his Senate confirmation hearing, Mr. Zeldin understands that ethanol and other renewable fuels will play an important role in accomplishing the President’s energy and environmental objectives. We are confident he will support timely and transparent implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard, take steps to facilitate expansion of lower-cost fuel blends like E15, and revisit extreme regulations that force automakers to produce costly electric vehicles that are heavily dependent on foreign raw materials. We are eager to collaborate with Administrator Zeldin and his entire team at EPA to empower greater use of more affordable, cleaner-burning, domestically produced liquid fuels.” READ MORE

Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer: During confirmation hearings, Zeldin was questioned about his connections to the oil industry as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and whether it would affect his decisions made as administrator, in particular as it relates to renewable fuels.

Biofuel interest groups said they were encouraged by Zeldin's willingness to work with them and members of Congress to support biofuels.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said in a statement that he believes Zeldin will support ethanol and rural American interests.

"As noted during his Senate confirmation hearing, Mr. Zeldin understands that ethanol and other renewable fuels will play an important role in accomplishing the president's energy and environmental objectives," Cooper said.

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Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said in a statement that Zeldin's confirmation hearing was "encouraging" as he committed to implementing the Trump agenda on biofuels.

"Administrator Zeldin has made it clear that he understands how important American-made biofuels are to President Trump's efforts to unleash American energy dominance," she said.

"He's also committed to advancing year-round E15 and ensuring that America's farmers and biofuel producers have the regulatory certainty under the Renewable Fuel Standard to plan and invest in rural growth."

Skor thanked Zeldin for agreeing to work alongside Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and others on Capitol Hill to deliver a "much-needed boost" to the farm economy and greater fuel savings for hardworking Americans with ethanol.

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said Zeldin's EPA will have a lot of work to do.

"Big issues await action," Shaw said. "First on the list is ensuring that consumers do not lose access year-round to lower-cost E15. EPA must also move quickly to propose Renewable Fuel Standard blending levels in line with what Congress intended. We encourage administrator Zeldin to fully pursue the important role biofuels can play to secure U.S. energy dominance."

Brett Hartl, government affairs director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said the jury is still out on whether Zeldin will be good for the environment.

"Trump stated that Lee Zeldin would maintain the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet, so we're going to hold him to that promise," Hartl said.

"But let's be clear-eyed that every other person Trump has already deployed to the EPA's pesticide, water and air divisions has a long track record of putting industry profits and polluters above our health and the environment. You can't make America healthy again if you gut every safeguard we depend on."

Read more on DTN: "Zeldin: Oil Industry Has No Influence," https://www.dtnpf.com/… READ MORE

Excerpt from Inside EPA: Biofuel producers are urging the Trump administration to support the sector’s key priorities including year-round sales of 15 percent ethanol fuel (E15), faster issuance of renewable fuel standard (RFS) blending targets and improved prospects for ethanol to qualify as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to a leading industry official. In an interview with Inside EPA , Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), cited early moves by President Donald Trump that appear to balance his long-standing... READ MORE