By Hank Russell
In preparing to start his second term, President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he has named Lee Zeldin as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He would replace Michael Regan, who was sworn in as administrator in 2021.
“I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time, and have watched him handle, brilliantly, some extremely difficult and complex situations,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He said 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, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Zeldin will be responsible for “[setting] new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way,” stated Trump.
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.
“It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” Zeldin posted on X. “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.”