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By Hank Russell
President Donald Trump has had much success so far in getting his Cabinet nominees confirmed. That streak continued as the U.S. Senate voted to confirm former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to news reports, Zeldin was confirmed by a 52-46 vote. Three Democrats — Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, both of Georgia, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Kelly was also the only Democrat to vote for Zeldin when the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved his nomination by an 11-8 vote.
Two senators — Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and J0n Osoff (D-Georgia) — did not vote.
This is the second time Zeldin has served in Washington, D.C. He previously served as a U.S. Representative from 2015 to 2023. During that time, he served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. In addition, he co-chaired the House Republican Israel Caucus, which boasts more than 100 members. He also championed infrastructure and research projects back home, including the preservation of Plum Island, Army Corps of Engineers initiatives and a $2 billion Electron-ion collider for Brookhaven National Laboratory.
At the age of 23, Zeldin became the youngest attorney in New York State at the time. He also served four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, where he had roles as a military intelligence officer, prosecutor and military magistrate. In 2006, he deployed to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He continues to serve a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Before serving in Congress, he was in the New York State Senate from 2010 to 2014. In 2022, he ran for governor against incumbent Kathy Hochul. Despite losing the race, he collected more votes for a Republican candidate since Nelson Rockefeller over 50 years ago. Because of his strong performance, according to Trump’s post, the GOP was able to flip many “blue” Congressional seats in the suburban areas, resulting in the Republicans taking back the House of Representatives.
Zeldin posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Honored to begin this exciting journey as the 17th @EPA Administrator. Together, we will harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship. Time to get to work!”