Jan. 16 (UPI) — The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is questioning the nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, in a confirmation hearing Thursday.
Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee, has a record of voting against many efforts to curb climate change during his eight-year stint in the U.S. Congress.
When announcing the nomination, Trump said Zeldin will lead his charge to reverse environmental 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,” Trump said in a statement.
The hearing convened at 10 a.m. EST. Zeldin is one of several cabinet nominees in senate confirmation hearings on Thursday.
Zeldin was a representative of New York’s first congressional district from 2015 to 2023. He left Congress to challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the state’s gubernatorial election in 2022 unsuccessfully.
