EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin wants to transform the agency from one that restricts business while, at the same time, maintaining its mission of protecting the environment.
In an appearance on FOX Business’ “Morning’s With Maria,” Zeldin discussed the changes President Donald Trump wants to make at the agency, and his role in overseeing them.
“Here we have an opportunity not only to bring back jobs, but a lot of jobs in the American auto sector as well,” he said. “So, we want to help President Trump at EPA to accomplish his mission, his mandate that the American public spoke loud and clear on last November.”
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Zeldin also touched on the billions of dollars the EPA doled out to non-governmental organizations at the end of the Biden administration – money he said was provided to groups aligned with the Democratic Party.
“You had people who were part of the Biden administration, the Obama administration, Democratic donors. They were standing up NGOs that didn’t even exist before the Inflation Reduction Act was passed,” Zeldin said. “And as soon as they announced these pots of money of tens of billions of dollars, out of nowhere, they would create these NGOs and they were getting billions of dollars. It’s not like they were creating an entity and then getting $100,000 or getting $5 million. They were getting $2 billion, $5 billion, $7 billion.”
The EPA, under Zeldin, recently terminated the $20 billion in contracts, freezing the funds and referring the matter to the Justice Department which, along with the FBI, is investigating the allocation of the money. Zeldin cited reports that Power Forward Communities, a group linked to Democrat Stacey Abrams, received $2 billion after reporting just $100 in total revenue the year before.
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Zeldin also touched on regulatory reform and the changes the agency will make that he says will spur economic growth.
“It means that it’s going to be easier to purchase a car. It’s going to be easier to heat your home. Operating a small business is going to be easier for people who are looking for employment, are going to have more opportunities.”
Despite the changes, Zeldin said the agency will still commit to protecting the environment.
“We want to make sure that Americans have access to clean air, land and water. That’s the first pillar of power in the Great American comeback,” Zeldin said.
“But while we are doing that, we need to unleash energy dominance, pursue permitting reform. Make America the AI capital of the world. Bring back those American auto jobs. The American public spoke loud and clear that they want this economic relief. And at the end of the day, that’s what we’re talking about here.”
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