WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he will nominate former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

Zeldin, also a former GOP candidate for governor of New York, said on social media that it would be an honor to be named to Trump’s Cabinet. The Senate, which Republicans will control next year, will have to confirm Zeldin’s nomination.

Zeldin does not necessarily come from an ecological environment. He is an attorney and currently serves as a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve. While in Congress from 2015 to 2023served on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee.

“We will restore U.S. energy dominance, revitalize the auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the U.S. the global leader in artificial intelligence,” Zeldin said. wrote on X, former Twitter. “We will do this while protecting access to clean air and water.”

In a statement, Trump said Zeldin came from a “strong legal background” and “was a true fighter for America First policies.”

Zeldin is president of the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank that is filled with former Trump officials.

“He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions are made in a way that unleashes the power of American business while maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,” he said. Trump said. “He will set new standards for environmental review and maintenance that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”

During Zeldin’s run for governor of New York in 2022, a man attacked him on stage, but he was quickly caught and Zeldin was unharmed. New York’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, won the race.

Last updated at 15:41, November 11, 2024