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6d ago

EPA Budget Cuts Face Fierce Scrutiny as Senate Grills Administrator Lee Zeldin

Zeldin defends proposed 55% budget reduction and $2 billion grant cancellations amid accusations of misleading testimony and public health warnings.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., from left, speaks as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Sen. Cory Booker D-N.J., listen during a live-streamed conversation on the steps of the Capitol, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
FILE - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testifies before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works during a hearing regarding President Trump's budget request for the agency in Washington DC, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. President Trump's budget proposal for the EPA calls for more than a 50 percent cut in the budget from last year's.
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Overview

  • EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testified before the Senate defending the Trump administration's proposed 55% budget cut and cancellation of 781 Biden-era grants worth $2 billion.
  • Democratic senators challenged Zeldin's claim of personally reviewing the grants, citing Department of Justice filings that contradict his testimony.
  • The proposed budget would eliminate the Energy Star program, cut drinking-water fund grants by 90%, and reduce EPA staffing to levels last seen 40 years ago.
  • Democrats warned the cuts would lead to increased pollution, higher rates of cancer, and other public health crises, particularly in vulnerable communities.
  • The hearing featured heated exchanges, with Zeldin accusing senators of political bias while defending the administration’s focus on reducing waste and abuse.