Who is Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick as new EPA head?

When President-elect Donald Trump named former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), he said the Republican would "unleash the power of American business" with "swift deregulatory decisions."

At the same time, Trump said in a statement that his new pick would maintain "the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet."

In turn, Zeldin, 44, who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election after Trump lost, wrote on social media platform X that it was an "honor" to join Trump's cabinet. He vowed to "restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs and make the US the global leader of AI" while "protecting access to clean air and water." 

What's Zeldin's stance on environmental protection?

In Congress, Zeldin's rhetoric and behavior was "very critical and hostile" to EPA regulatory power in the climate space, Barry Rabe, professor of environmental and public policy at the University of Michigan, told DW.

Zeldin's tenure could see a challenge to "almost every major interpretation" that President Joe Biden's administration has had of the Clean Air Act, a 1963 law that intended to reduce and control air pollution. "That would be electric vehicles, that would be movement toward cleaner energy and electricity sector, possibly methane regulations for oil and gas," said Rabe.

The League of Conservation Voters, an NGO tracking lawmaker voting behavior on environmental issues, gives Zeldin a 14% lifetime score for his record. In 2022, he favored an amendment that would have cut the EPA's budget, voted for pulling the US out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and opted against investment in conservation and restoration of America's wildlife. He did, however, vote to take action against forever chemicals PFAS in 2021.

Why did Trump pick Zeldin?

"Zeldin is very articulate. He is very decisive," said Rabe, adding that Trump seems to be bringing in experienced people who are used to being confrontational, are loyal to him and are good on TV.

In a recent appearance on Fox News, a conservative American cable television channel, Zeldin made clear his pro-business vision for the EPA, saying the agency would allow the US to pursue energy dominance. "Day one and the first 100 days, we have the opportunity to roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle," said Zeldin.

He said Trump himself had called him with a list of priorities. "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," Zeldin added.

What could Zeldin do at the EPA helm?

While Zeldin could roll back some regulations, he can't easily undo policies passed by Congress, said Rabe.

When Congress adopts infrastructure funding for things like electric vehicle charging stations, cleaning up orphan oil and gas wells or the Inflation Reduction Act, which in part incentivizes green energy, that's part of legislation. "It's much harder for a president to stop or reverse that," said Rabe.

But with Republicans taking charge of both houses of US Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, "it is quite possible that you could see a pivot and a repeal of some of those policies."

Trump has already said he plans to install his new Cabinet picks by recess appointments, thus bypassing Senate checks and balances. The US Constitution allows presidents to make temporary appointments of up to two years when the Senate is not in session, originally introduced at a time when the chamber didn't sit as frequently. 

"What we're beginning to see is a significant test by Donald Trump of just how far he can go," Rabe said. "He's already beginning to push the boundaries of the power of the president, especially in an era where he may have a more friendly set of courts."

Trump could try to freeze some EPA funds and impound money meant for climate protection, added Rabe. However, he said he doesn't think Trump will completely reverse the Inflation Reduction Act because a lot of money goes to Republican states.

Will the EPA be gutted?

Most of the EPA's over 15,000 employees can't be fired on a whim. Like many other US government agencies, only the top brass are politically appointed professionals. Most employees are considered apolitical staff who continue working no matter who the president is.

However, Trump wants to be able to turn some of those positions into political jobs, which would make it easier to dismiss employees and replace them with loyalists. The president-elect has said he would bring back a 2020 executive order known as "Schedule F," which would strip job protections from federal workers and classify them as political employees he could then fire.

Rabe said Zeldin — under Trump's orders — could also launch "a frontal assault on the agency, trying to drive people out."

On the campaign trail, Trump has suggested moving parts of federal government agencies out of the US capital, with Trump's team now reportedly discussing shifting the EPA headquarters outside of Washington.

Trump did something similar during his first term when he relocated the Bureau of Land Management out to Colorado. Many employees took early retirement or resigned to avoid the move. 

"The symbolism of that is 'get them closer to the people,' whatever that means," Rabe said. "The reality is finding ways to reduce and gut that staff."

How has Zeldin's nomination been received in environmental circles?

Environmental nonprofits and unions representing EPA workers are sounding the alarm.

"During the last Trump administration, we witnessed massive damage to EPA's work done," said Nicole Cantello, president of AFGE Local 704, a union representing about 1,000 EPA workers, in a statement.

"The Trump administration systematically and intentionally undercut EPA's ability to protect the public from toxic pollution. EPA leadership scrubbed references to climate change from the agency's website, prevented our staff from practicing sound science and blocked our ability to take enforcement action against polluters," she said.

Under Trump, the agency lost its ability to guarantee Americans had access to clean water and air, added Cantello. The EPA abandoned its role as the agency most equipped to address climate change, she said.

"Our union's message to Mr. Zeldin is this: we are watching. Lead by example. Make a sharp departure from Trump's previous legacy at EPA," Cantello said.

Ben Jealous, the executive director ofAmerican environmental organization Sierra Club,  called Zeldin "unqualified," adding he would sell out to corporate polluters.

"Our lives, our livelihoods, and our collective future cannot afford Lee Zeldin — or anyone who seeks to carry out a mission antithetical to the EPA's mission," he said.

Edited by: Jennifer Collins