Former New York Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin has been confirmed as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency tasked with protecting human health and the environment. With a full Senate vote of 56 to 42, Zeldin received the "yes" vote for confirmation of all 53 Republican senators, with three Democrat senators crossing party lines to confirm him. Zeldin is the seventh nominee to be confirmed to President Donald Trump's cabinet. 

✅ CONFIRMED: Lee Zeldin as Administrator of the EPA. pic.twitter.com/dF7qB4r8ON

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 29, 2025

The 56-42 vote featured Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, as well as John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, giving their approval of Zeldin alongside all 53 Republicans in the upper chamber.

The 44-year-old ex-congressman had flown through the Senate Environment and Public Works vetting process and passed a cloture vote on the Senate floor earlier Wednesday by the same margin and with the same three Democrats supporting him.

In his confirmation hearing, the former Suffolk County congressman and 2022 Empire State gubernatorial candidate pointed to his record of cracking down on pollution and cleaning up waterways in his home state as proof that his EPA would focus on “protecting our environment, while also protecting our economy.”

Zeldin criticized Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, for “suffocating the economy” and said the 47th president’s administration would “do everything in our power to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship.”

Part of that harnessing began with divestment. Trump removed the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, and has promised to roll back any Green New Deal initiatives, many embedded within the EPA's operations under the previous administration. Zeldin will be tasked to ensure any EPA policies align with President Trump's mandate, particularly surrounding unleashing American energy.

✅ CONFIRMED! Thank You to the 56 Senators for your vote and confidence.

Grateful to President @realDonaldTrump for having the faith in me to be part of his Cabinet as @EPA Administrator.

Make America Great Again!🇺🇸

— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) January 29, 2025

As the votes to confirm Zeldin reflect, his confirmation hearing was less fractious than that of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Wednesday morning's confirmation hearing with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

At his January 16 confirmation hearing, Zeldin promised thusly:

Success is defined for many, including me, as leaving this world better than we found it. I want every child in this nation — including my daughters and your children — to inherit a world with clean air, clean water, and a thriving economy. This mission must transcend politics, and I look forward to working with all of you to achieve it. 

Zeldin made clear that he felt it was a "moral responsibility" to be a good steward of the environment, and that environmental protection and economic success were not mutually exclusive.