Lee Zeldin Confirmed as New EPA Head Amid Climate Policy Reversals

The U.S. Senate confirmed former Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin as the new head of the EPA with a 56-42 vote. Zeldin will lead efforts to deregulate the oil and gas industry and rollback climate policies from the previous administration, questioned on regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S. Senate voted 56-42 on Wednesday to confirm Lee Zeldin as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin, a former Republican Congressman, is set to roll back key climate rules established under former President Joe Biden, including emission reductions from vehicles, power plants, and factories.

President Donald Trump selected Zeldin, 44, to spearhead the EPA's deregulation push, easing constraints on oil and gas extraction, and shifting the agency's focus away from climate change mitigations like increased electric vehicle usage. Notably, Zeldin's confirmation saw support from three Democratic senators: Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego, and John Fetterman.

A pivotal task for the EPA under Zeldin will be revisiting the 'endangerment finding'—a critical agency determination that links greenhouse gas emissions to human health risks, supporting its regulatory authority over emissions from cars and factory smoke stacks.

(With inputs from agencies.)