Originally published in the March 2025 issue of Bench & Bar of Minnesota Environmental Law Update, Minnesota State Bar Association.
On January 29, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Lee Zeldin as the new EPA administrator with a 56-42 vote, including support from three Democratic senators. Zeldin, a Republican, served in the New York State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives before running unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2022.
Nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on November 11, 2024, Zeldin's confirmation was celebrated by industry advocates and conservatives but met with skepticism by environmentalists due to his mixed record on environmental issues.
Zeldin is an American politician and member of the Republican party, an attorney and officer in the United States Army Reserve. Zeldin served as a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 3rd Senate District, from 2011 to 2014. Zeldin was elected to Congress in 2014, representing New York's First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023. Zeldin did not seek reelection as congressman following his failed run for New York state governor in 2022, endorsed by then former President Trump.
Zeldin has been a staunch supporter of the President, having prominently defended the President during his first impeachment hearings and voting against certifying the 2020 election results.
Zeldin has little background in energy or environmental regulations and has expressed mixed views on climate change and environmental policy throughout his political career.
According to a scorecard by environmental group the League of Conservation Voters, as a Congressman, Zeldin supported just 14% of key pieces of environmental legislation, including bills to address PFAS contamination; a bill to prohibit oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts; and several conservation initiatives for his district in Long Island.
As with every other House Republican, Zeldin voted against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, supported Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement and voted for an amendment that called for rescinding U.S. participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Zeldin also supported an amendment to prevent the EPA from implementing its rule to curb methane pollution in the oil and gas sector; voted against an amendment to block Trump EPA’s finalization of a weak standard under the Clean Air Act for particulate matter (soot); and voting against an amendment to fund replacement of lead service lines providing drinking water.
In the 2022 governor’s race, Zeldin vowed to reverse a fracking ban and criticized state climate policies aimed at moving New York away from fossil fuels and towards electric cars and buildings powered by wind, solar, hydro and other renewable energies.
The Great American Comeback
On February 4, 2025, Zeldin announced the EPA’s "Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative," outlining the agency’s priorities under his leadership. The initiative consists of five pillars:
- Clean Air, Land and Water for Every American
- Restore American Energy Dominance
- Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership
- Make the United States the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the World
- Protecting and Bringing Back American Auto Jobs
This initiative aims to balance environmental protection with economic growth, reflecting the administration's focus on energizing the American economy.
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