President-elect Donald Trump on Monday picked former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to oversee the Environmental Protection Agency under his coming administration.
In a statement posted to X, the former Twitter platform, Zeldin called it an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator. "Looking forward to getting straight to work as part of President Trump's Cabinet to unleash U.S. energy dominance, make America the AI capital of the world, bring American auto jobs back home, and so much more," he posted Tuesday morning.
Zeldin said in an interview with Fox News following his pending appointment, which still must be confirmed by a Senate that will be Republican-controlled in January, that he would prioritize efforts to "roll back regulations" that he sees impeding American business.
"There are regulations that the left wing of this country have been advocating through regulatory power that ends up causing businesses to go in the wrong direction,” he said.
In a post to TruthSocial, Trump lauded Zeldin for being "a true fighter for America First 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 wrote.
Heavy truck emissions, specifically the removal of legislation that aims to make trucking battery electric, are front-burner action items for the American Trucking Associations. California Governor Gavin Newsom has already called for the convening of a legislative Special Session in a preemptive strike against potential emissions rollbacks that could impact California, home of some of the most stringent emissions standards in the country.
Who is Lee Zeldin?
A "long time" acquaintance of President-elect Trump, Zeldin served New York's First Congressional District from 2015-2023 and in 2022 unsuccessfully ran for governor of New York. Prior to his terms in Congress, he was elected to the New York State Senate in 2010. He served four years active duty with the U.S. Army, including a deployment to Iraq. He currently serves as a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army Reserve with more than 20 years of military service.
