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Zeldin Defends 52% EPA Budget Cut In Testy Hill Hearings

Zeldin frames the EPA's mission through recent Supreme Court limits on agency power.

Overview

  • EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, testifying Monday on the 2027 plan, defended cutting the agency to $4.2 billion in a hearing that produced a viral clash with Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
  • He cited Loper Bright, West Virginia v. EPA, and Michigan v. EPA to argue the Clean Air Act does not authorize broad climate rules without clear direction from Congress.
  • Members of both parties warned they will resist steep reductions to state and tribal grants, with Chair Mike Simpson saying those funds will not be cut by 83 percent.
  • The exchange turned sharp over glyphosate after Zeldin warned against ingesting it and DeLauro shot back, as the Supreme Court heard a case on Bayer’s Roundup warning labels.
  • In a separate hearing Tuesday, Zeldin said EPA will issue updated guidance this week to explain compliance under the oil and gas methane rule, which operators say could force shut-ins without clarity.