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2d ago

EPA Chief Zeldin Faces Heated Senate Scrutiny Over Climate Grant Cancellations

Sen. Whitehouse challenges Zeldin's conflicting claims on grant reviews as DOJ filings contradict EPA testimony.

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 and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse clashed during a Senate hearing over the cancellation of nearly 800 climate-focused grants.
  • Whitehouse pressed Zeldin on conflicting accounts from EPA officials and DOJ lawyers, who stated no individualized reviews of the grants were conducted.
  • Zeldin defended the process, claiming multiple EPA employees reviewed the grants, but his statements were contradicted by DOJ court filings and testimony from EPA officials.
  • The grant cancellations are part of a broader push under the Trump administration to cut environmental programs and reduce government spending.
  • The dispute highlights broader concerns over transparency, accountability, and the environmental impact of the EPA's deregulatory agenda.