In a confirmation hearing on Thursday, Democrat senators bombarded Lee Zeldin with “gotcha” environmental questions and pressured him to embrace their radical climate agenda.
Zeldin, 44, is an attorney, a former congressman from New York, a one-time candidate for New York governor, and a frequent, funny guest on “Gutfeld!” on Fox News. His background also includes four years of active duty in the U.S. Army, including time as a military intelligence officer. His next gig may be administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Zeldin’s congressional confirmation hearing on Thursday covered numerous issues, but Democrat senators often returned to their climate change agenda.
Rhode Island Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was the most suspicious of Zeldin, suggesting President Donald Trump had promised “fossil fuel industry executives” that he would reverse certain environmental rules in exchange for campaign donations, and Zeldin would make it so.
“These special interests now expect a return on their political investment,” Whitehouse said in his opening statement. “The question, then, for Mr. Zeldin here before us as President Trump’s nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency is simple: Will he follow the science and the economics and protect our air, water, and climate, or will he merely be a rubber stamp for looters and polluters who are setting the Trump agenda?”
Zeldin did not get a chance to answer directly because it was an opening statement, but Whitehouse stayed on topic, peppering Zeldin with tricky climate questions.
Trump has nominated candidates with one common trait: They are all, including Zeldin, strong communicators. It is a necessary skill, needed to verbally unravel the exhausting complexities thrown at each candidate, like this one from Whitehouse:
“As a matter of law, is carbon dioxide a pollutant?”
It sounds like a yes or no question, but it begs more explanation.
“As far as carbon dioxide emitted from you during that question, I would say no,” Zeldin said. “As far as carbon dioxide that is emitted in larger masses that we hear concern about from scientists as well as from Congress, that’s something that certainly needs to be focused on for the EPA.”
Whitehouse pressed on with the question.
“And as a matter of law, it is a designated pollutant, correct?”
“Senator,” Zeldin responded, “while carbon dioxide is not named as one of the six [pollutants] in the, in the Clean Air Act, the EPA has been treating it as such.”
Many EPA policies are predicated on businesses spending big to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. They have caused energy and vehicle prices to increase, and some doubt these small improvements will have a positive effect on the climate.
“Do you agree with President-elect Trump that climate change is a hoax?” Sen. Bernie Sanders asked.
Zeldin told Sanders he believes climate change is real, and that Trump’s comment was taken out of context. He said Trump was criticizing policies put in place in the name of climate change and had concerns about the “economic costs.”
Sanders asked Zeldin if he considers climate change an “existential threat, meaning that there must be an urgency to get our act together … to address it.” Sanders also asked if Zeldin would pressure other countries, including China, to adopt greener policies.
Zeldon assured Sanders that he views the issue with urgency and expects to discuss climate issues with other countries, including China.
Amid the requests for Zeldon to “follow the science” of climate change, Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming had a different take.
“Is it your job as EPA administrator to follow the science or follow the law?”
The law, Zeldin answered.
“With regard to goals and clean air, is the goal to have clean air or is the goal to eliminate specific fuels?” Lummis asked. Zeldin said the goal is to have the “cleanest, safest, healthiest air [and] drinking water.”
Zeldin made many remarks that show he aims to protect the environment, but he did something Democrats didn’t: He talked about how climate policies affect business and said the two priorities must be balanced.
“The American people elected President Trump last November, in part due to serious concerns about upward economic mobility and their struggle to make ends meet,” Zeldin said. “Too many of our fellow Americans are trapped in poverty and desperate for a whole-of-government approach to give them a hand up. We can and we must protect our precious environment without suffocating the economy. A big part of this will require building private sector collaboration to promote common sense, smart regulation that will allow American innovation to continue to lead the world.”
