Lee Zeldin was sworn in as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA said Thursday that as the 17th administrator, he will lead agency officials in fulfilling the agency’s mandate of protecting human health and preserving the environment.
The Senate confirmed his appointment by a vote of 56 to 42 on Wednesday, according to North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer’s website.
“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,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin.
Zeldin’s Career Highlights
Prior to his appointment to the EPA, Zeldin was the New York State senator from 2011–2014 before becoming the representative of the state’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015–2023.
In Congress, he lobbied across party lines for the preservation of Long Island Sound and Plum Island. Zeldin also supported key bipartisan environmental protection legislation, including the Great American Outdoors Act and the SaveOurr Seas Act.
He was previously the youngest New York State attorney at 23 and was a member of the Army’s Elite 82nd Airborne Division that deployed to Iraq in 2006.