Trump Selects Lee Zeldin as EPA Administrator
Breaking this afternoon.
This afternoon President-elect Donald J. Trump announced he selected Lee Zeldin, former New York congressman, as his next Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator.
NY Post first broke the story:
“I am deeply honored to have been asked by President Trump to serve in his Cabinet. As EPA Administrator, we will restore American energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, make the United States the global leader of Artificial Intelligence advancement, and slash the red tape holding back American workers from upward economic mobility,” Zeldin said in a statement to The Post.
“We will accomplish all this while conserving our environment, protecting access to clean air and water, and keeping the American people healthy. I look forward to contributing to President Trump’s agenda to build a more prosperous future for our nation.”
Some critics rushed to criticize Zeldin as being insufficiently committed to climate zealotry - er, climate activism. They pointed out his 14% lifetime score with the League of Conservation Voters - a lefty preservationist group that has long-soiled conservation.
Mandy Gunasekara, former EPA Chief of Staff under Trump, celebrated the selection and tweeted, “Amazing!”
Earlier this year, Mr. Zeldin wrote an op-ed blasting New York State’s climate policies. He wrote, “The bottom line: New York's lofty climate goals are little more than political posturing and an embrace of a "rules for thee, but not for me" mindset. Our leaders must make serious course corrections focused on achievable targets, a sincere commitment to sustainable energy practices, and an all-of-the-above approach that strengthens our workers and gives our job creators the best opportunity to succeed.”
BOTTOM LINE: I hope Mr. Zeldin will unyoke the EPA from net-zero climate goals and return the agency to its core mission - not ESG/CRT/DEI.
What exactly are Mr. Zeldin's qualifications, and what do those qualifications suggest for the hoped-for regulatory reforms? "Former Congressman from New York" is hardly a ringing endorsement! Lawyer? If so, don't hope for meaningful reform! Businessman? If so, hope the laws aren't completely gutted! Trump would never appoint an engineer, so I won't even postulate impacts of that choice.