The U.S. Senate approved Lee Zeldin as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 29, 2025, with a 56-42 vote.
The EPA is charged with a simple mission: Protect human health and the environment. Congressman Zeldin was nominated by President Donald Trump, and confirmed by the Senate, to lead the agency and carry out that mission during Trump’s second term as president.
“It is my honor to serve as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency Administrator," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in a press release. "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.”
Zeldin was pressed on topics about climate change, PFAS, lead service lines and funding during his nomination hearing in early January 2025.
Zeldin made it clear in his nomination hearing that he wants to be a good steward of tax dollars, while protecting the environment.
Zeldin co-founded the PFAS Task Force and voted for the PFAS Action Act. He opposed the Paris Agreement in 2018 and voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act in July of 2021.
Who is Lee Zeldin?
Zeldin is an American politician and member of the Republican party, an attorney, and officer in the United States Army Reserve. He was born in East Meadow, New York and was raised in Suffolk County, New York.
He graduated with a political science bachelor’s from the SUNY University at Albany in 2001, and in 2003, the Albany Law School issued him a Juris Doctor, leading to his admittance to the New York State Bar in 2004.
Zeldin became the youngest attorney in New York at the time, at just 23.
He is married to Diana Gidish with whom he has twin daughters.
Political career
New York State Senate
Lee Zeldin first took office in 2010 when he was elected with 57% of the vote to the New York State Senate where he defeated democratic incumbent Brian X. Foley. In 2012, he was reelected to that position defeating his opponent, Francis Genco. During his term at the state level, he supported:
- Passage of a bill to introduce a 2% property tax cap, which he co-sponsored; and
- Creation of the PFC Joseph Dywer PTSD Peer-to-Peer Veterans Support program, funding for which was included in the 2012-2013 New York State Budget.
U.S. House of Representatives
While Zeldin first took office in 2010 at the state level, Zeldin’s political career began in 2008 when he opposed New York 1st District Incumbent Tim Bishop for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bishop defeated Zeldin in that election, however in 2014, Zeldin returned to the race after overtaking George Demos for the Republican primary. He beat out Bishop with 54% of the vote on Nov. 4, 2014.
During his multiple terms as a Congressperson, Zeldin was involved in a handful of environmental affairs and legislation, two of which related to fish and wildlife issues that did not have the backing to either pass committee or pass on the floor.
In September of 2015, he opposed a federal position on dumping dredged materials in the Long Island Sound, saying the dredging waste was not benign.
Zeldin also opposed the Paris Agreement in 2018 due to a lack of balance and equality regarding the standards to which countries in the agreement are held.
“One of the issues and others have here In the United States is with regards to other countries that are contributing to very adverse impacts on our climate, but not having the level of responsibilities that they need to have in stepping up and making a positive change in their own countries,” Zeldin said to Bloomberg.
Zeldin also voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act in July of 2021 as well as the amendment in November 2021.
2024 New York Gubernatorial Race
Zeldin retained his position in Congress through multiple elections, and in 2021, he announced his gubernatorial campaign for New York State. Beating out Rob Astorino, Andrew Giuliani and Harry Wilson in June 2022, Zeldin won the primary to take on incumbent Kathy Hochul that November.
Ultimately, Hochul won out in the election with 53.2% of the vote to Zeldin’s 46.8%, however, that margin was the closest contest of the race for governor since 2002.
Military Service
Congressman Lee Zeldin is a United States Military Reserve officer who served in the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2007. His first position was in the Military Intelligence Corps. Prior to that he received an Army ROTC commission as a second lieutenant.
Starting in 2007, he transitioned to the Army Reserve and has achieved a rank of lieutenant colonel. As of his hearing Jan. 16, he still fulfills his role with the Army Reserve.
At the time he transitioned to the Army Reserve, he took a position as an attorney for the Port Authority of New York and new Jersey before starting his own legal practice in 2008, which he operated as a full-time job until the start of his political career in the New York State Senate in 2010.
