To see the full exchange, click here.
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), questioned Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin. Blunt Rochester pressed Zeldin on his stances on key environmental issues facing Delaware and the nation, including the threat of climate change, protecting environmental justice and coastal communities, and access to clean drinking water.
“Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and thank you so much to you and the Ranking Members for the warm welcome. I’m excited to be on this committee . . . Let me begin by expressing my gratitude, though, to the former Chairman of this committee, my friend and mentor, Senator Tom Carper, for his years of faithful service not only to this committee, but also to our nation and to saving our planet,” Sen. Blunt Rochester said in her opening statement.
“… Mr. Zeldin, I appreciate your visit last week. And you clearly stated in your testimony that we must ensure that we protect our environment. And in our conversation, I shared with you the rich diversity of my state from our farmers to city dwellers to our coastal communities and our environmental justice communities, and why the EPA is such an important and great partner to our state,” Sen. Blunt Rochester continued.
“I’ve, in my time in the House, prioritized, clean air, clean drinking water, affordability of those things as well. And, for us, it’s crucial that we have the best candidate for the EPA administrator,” Sen. Blunt Rochester continued.
“So, in our conversation, I was really pleased also that you earnestly acknowledged that climate change is real and that you are committed. You actually affirmatively, before I even got the question out and said you committed to following the science and letting that dictate the policies of the EPA. And as I said, in my home state, we feel the impact of climate, every single day . . . I know we talked about the similarities in our district. Low-lying, vulnerable to sea level rise. And it’s critical to our coastal communities. How will you direct the EPA to help these communities like ours survive?”
“The rising sea levels and extreme weather brought on by the climate crisis. Senator, this is a topic that involves multiple agencies working together. So, EPA being able to do its part, is incredibly important…,” Mr. Zeldin responded.
Sen. Blunt Rochester asked, “You stated that, EPA’s mission is to protect the health of the public and the environment. Is this still your position? Yes or no?”
“Yes,” Mr. Zeldin responded.
“Will you ensure EPA prioritizes policies that promote access to clean water? Yes or no?” Sen. Blunt Rochester asked.
“Yes, Senator,” Mr. Zeldin responded.
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