Lee Zeldin confirmed as Trump's EPA administrator

January 30, 2025- WASHINGTON, D.C. – the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Lee Zeldin as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator.

Both U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) voted to confirm Zeldin. Senator Britt released a statement after the Senate confirmed Zeldin:

"I was excited to vote to confirm Lee Zeldin as EPA Administrator today, Sen. Britt said. "The Biden-Harris EPA instituted partisan, punitive rules and taxes that raised costs and put hardworking Americans out of business. The Trump Administration is committed to reversing the crushing regulations of the past four years, and Lee Zeldin is the man to turn things around."

"Unleashing American energy is a priority for me, my colleagues, and the American people. I look forward to seeing what America can accomplish when the red tape regime is dismantled and common sense is restored," said Britt. "We are on the precipice of a golden era of American prosperity with President Trump's picks at the helm."

Zeldin, a former Congressman from New York, had the support of every Republican Senate as well as Democratic Senators John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Ruben Gallego (Arizona) and Mark Kelly (Arizona). He was confirmed 56 to 42. Zeldin is a U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel.

During his confirmation hearing, Zeldin defended Trump's comments calling climate change a hoax, even though he said that he believes it is real.

Zeldin, an attorney, was a chief defender of Trump during the president's first impeachment in 2019.

Trump said that Zeldin 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."

"We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water," Trump said.

Zeldin said on Fox News that in the first 100 days, the Trump administration would "roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle."

Zeldin was the Republican challenger to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in 2022.

"It is my honor to serve as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency Administrator," Zeldin said at his swearing in. "Under President Trump's leadership, we will take great strides to defend every American's access to clean air, clean water, and clean land. We will maintain and expand the gold standard of environmental stewardship and conservation that President Trump set forth in his first administration while also prioritizing economic prosperity. I look forward to working with the agency's talented staff and scientists to deliver results for the American people. It's time to get to work."

The Sierra Club opposed Zeldin's confirmation.

"Naming an unqualified, anti-American worker who opposes efforts to safeguard our clean air and water lays bare Donald Trump's intentions to, once again, sell our health, our communities, our jobs, and our future out to corporate polluters," said Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous.

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(Original reporting by the Hill and Fox News contributed to this report.)