On November 11, President-elect Trump tapped Lee Zeldin for the role of administrator to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The former representative from New York served in the U.S. Congress from 2015-2023. In 2022, he ran for governor of that state, which he did not win but overperformed in a traditionally blue state. Zeldin’s career did not focus on the environment, yet he promoted common sense approaches on the issues he did address from the restoration of Long Island Sound, fisheries, and climate to EPA funding and reform.
In a social media post following the announcement, Zeldin mentioned the commitment to restoring energy dominance and revitalizing the auto industry “while protecting access to clean air and water.” In an interview, he reiterated President-elect Trump’s goals on regulatory reform and focusing the government on economic prosperity.
While in the U.S. House of Representatives, Zeldin voted for the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 to provide $305 billion in funding for critical infrastructure projects over the span of 5 years. The long-term funding certainty gave state departments of transportation and contractors the assurance to plan and build highway and transit line expansions. The FAST Act also enacted a number of changes to further expedite project delivery by accelerating permitting processes, codifying the Every Day Counts initiative, and creating more flexibilities for states to carry out their projects.
During President Trump’s first term, AGC recommended several policies to improve and streamline key regulations without compromising environmental integrity. AGC of America prides itself on maintaining solutions-based relationships within the federal agencies to effectively advocate for policies that benefit the construction industry. The association also takes legal action to fight for better policies, as it has had to do during the Biden Administration on issues such as waters of the United States, permit issues, and forever chemicals.
For more information, contact Melinda Tomaino atmelinda.tomaino@agc.org.