EPA chief defends deep cuts, reorganization and ‘‘Powering the Great American Comeback’’ plan

Administrator Lee Zeldin defended President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget request and a broad reorganization plan before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s environment subcommittee, saying the administration will reduce what it calls ‘‘unnecessary’’ spending and focus EPA on core statutory duties.

Zeldin told Chairman Griffith the administration’s priorities fall under five pillars of a plan he called “Powering the Great American Comeback,” listing ‘‘clean air, land and water for all Americans,’’ ‘‘unleash energy dominance,’’ ‘‘advance cooperative federalism and permitting reform,’’ ‘‘make America the AI capital of the world,’’ and ‘‘bring back American auto jobs.’’ He said the proposals include shifts intended to reduce regulatory costs and speed permitting.

“The Trump EPA chooses both. We want to protect the environment and grow the economy,” Zeldin said in his opening statement. He added the proposed FY2026 budget would ‘‘demand maximum efficiency’’ and that the agency will continue to meet its ‘‘statutory obligations.’’

Democrats on the panel strongly disputed that framing. Ranking Member Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) called the proposed budget ‘‘problematic and unserious,’’ saying it would cut the agency’s funding by 55 percent from FY2025 levels and ‘‘fundamentally dismantle the EPA as we know it’’ and degrade its ability to carry out core programs. Representative Frank Pallone referenced specific reductions in state revolving funds and categorical grants, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky and others pressed Zeldin on program terminations and staffing cuts.

Zeldin acknowledged the agency is in litigation over some grant terminations and said his team would work with members on particular instances where ‘‘smaller issues’’ exist in grants and where funding needs to be spent responsibly. He said the agency is adding a modest increase in certain targeted accounts in the proposal — including funds ‘‘to respond to drinking water disasters’’ and ‘‘a $27,000,000 increase in funding for tribes to address drinking water and wastewater infrastructure’’ — while advocating overall reductions.

Members asked how the reorganization would affect the Office of Research and Development, scientific integrity, and the agency’s ability to fulfill statutory duties. Zeldin said scientific work will be ‘‘elevated inside of all different program offices’’ and that the agency will meet statutory requirements, while declining to pre-judge rulemakings and promising to follow Administrative Procedure Act (APA) processes.

Several Republicans framed the changes as necessary to reduce costly regulations they say were infeasible for industry to meet and as part of a push to accelerate U.S. energy and industrial investment. Representative Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and others pressed Zeldin on permitting reform as a means to reduce delays for investments such as semiconductor fabs and data centers.

Zeldin and members also discussed coordinated interagency efforts, including a National Energy Dominance Council, to make permitting reviews more simultaneous and predictable. Zeldin said some administrative reforms do not require Congress and that the agency will seek to reduce procedural ‘‘gum up’’ in existing processes.

While the administrator repeatedly promised to ‘‘fulfill all statutory obligations,’’ Democratic members repeatedly warned that cutting staffs and categorical grants would shift costs and responsibilities to states and localities. Tonko and Rep. Kathy Castor, among others, asked for documentation of grant reviews and individual determinations; Zeldin said the agency will provide explanations as appropriate and work with members’ offices.

The hearing concluded with Zeldin reiterating the administration’s stated goal of reducing regulatory burdens while maintaining core environmental protections and offering to work with lawmakers on specific program and state-level issues.