Everything Lee Zeldin said about climate change

President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin will lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during his second term as president.

Zeldin, a 44-year-old Republican who launched a failed run for governor of New York in 2022 and left Congress in 2023, will “ensure fair and rapid deregulation decisions implemented in a way that unleashes the power of American companies .” Trump said in a statement.

A long-time opponent of climate regulation, Zeldin will also “maintain the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” Trump said. The statement incorrectly referred to the EPA as the Environmental Protection Agency.

Zeldin has expressed mixed views on climate change and environmental policy throughout his political career. While he has supported some renewable energy initiatives, such as expanding tax credits for solar investments and exploring offshore wind potential, his overall environmental record has drawn criticism.

While in Congress, he did not serve on committees overseeing environmental policy and earned a lifetime score of 14 percent with the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group, during his eight years in Congress.

In 2020, the LCV gave him a score of 24 percent, well below the average for New York representatives. The LCV also pointed out that Zeldin frequently voted against the Clean Air Act, even though Suffolk County has some of the worst air quality in New York.

In 2016, Zeldin pushed to change the designation of about 150 square miles of federal waters in Long Island Sound to state jurisdiction over New York and Rhode Island. He wanted to open the area to striped bass fishing.

Zeldin co-sponsored the Carbon Capture Improvement Act to promote carbon capture technology, but also faced opposition in votes that were seen as favoring the fossil fuel industry and opposing stricter environmental regulations.

Critics say he does not support important climate and conservation laws, such as measures to eliminate harmful fishing gear and expand protection of natural areas.

However, Zeldin has pointed to his efforts to secure funding for projects such as the Long Island Sound restoration and opposing offshore drilling as examples of his commitment to local environmental issues.

In the 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Zeldin promised to repeal a fracking ban imposed by Democrats.

In an interview Monday on Fox News, Zeldin said he would advocate for the United States to “pursue energy dominance … bring American jobs back to the auto industry and much more.”

Zeldin said he looks forward to implementing Trump’s economic agenda, adding: “I think the American people are so hungry for it. That’s one of the main reasons they’re sending him back to the White House.”

Trump’s new administration also includes a long-time adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief policy officer and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as his nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.

Do you have a story? Newsweek should cover? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected]