Zeldin's EPA Plan: Balance Economy and Environment

Lee Zeldin, nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has a plan. He wants to cut back on federal regulations that he thinks are hurting the economy. But he promises to keep protecting the environment and people's health. Zeldin has experience working with both parties to pass laws that clean up water and air. He talked about this in his Senate confirmation hearing. Zeldin comes from Long Island, where people care a lot about the environment. He worked on bills to clean up places like the Long Island Sound and Plum Island. He also supported laws to clean up oceans from plastics. President-elect Donald Trump picked Zeldin because he thinks Zeldin can make fair and quick decisions about deregulation. Trump wants to increase oil and gas production in the US. This is different from what President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris wanted to do. They wanted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Senator Shelley Moore Capito praised Zeldin's work on environmental policies. She thinks the EPA should manage taxpayer money better. She also worries about renewable energy causing power outages in the future. Democrats on the Senate panel had doubts about Zeldin. They wanted to make sure he wouldn't just do what big businesses want. Zeldin said he would make decisions based on the law, not money. He also said he believes climate change is real, but he thinks Trump is more worried about the cost of some policies. Zeldin thinks the EPA should find the cleanest and greenest energy solutions. He left Congress in 2022 to run for governor of New York, but he didn't win. Now, he is expected to be confirmed as the new EPA leader.