Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Lee Zeldin

Discover the career path of Lee Zeldin, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Lee Michael Zeldin is an American politician. He served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 1st congressional district from 2015 to 2023. Prior to that, he was a member of the New York State Senate from 2011 to 2014. Currently, he holds the position of the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since January 29, 2025.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2003: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant

In 2003, Lee Zeldin received an Army ROTC commission as a second lieutenant and served in the United States Army.

2004: Admitted to New York State Bar

In 2004, Lee Zeldin was admitted to the New York State Bar, becoming the youngest attorney in New York at the time.

2007: Attorney for Port Authority

In 2007, Lee Zeldin became an attorney for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

2007: Transitioned to Army Reserve

In 2007, Lee Zeldin transitioned from active duty to the Army Reserve.

2008: Challenged Tim Bishop for Congressional Seat

In 2008, Lee Zeldin challenged incumbent representative Tim Bishop in New York's 1st congressional district, but Bishop defeated Zeldin.

2008: Started Law Firm

In 2008, Lee Zeldin started a general-practice law firm in Smithtown, New York.

2010: Defeated Brian X. Foley

In 2010, Lee Zeldin ran in the New York State Senate's 3rd District, challenging Democratic incumbent Brian X. Foley and defeated him with 57% of the vote.

2010: Elected to NY State Senate

In 2010, Lee Zeldin was elected to New York's 3rd State Senate district.

January 2011: Co-sponsored property tax cap bill

In January 2011, Lee Zeldin co-sponsored a bill that provided for a 2% property tax cap to become law.

June 2011: Voted Against Marriage Equality Act

In June 2011, Lee Zeldin voted against the Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate passed. He stated his belief that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman.

December 2011: Supported MTA Payroll Tax Cut

In December 2011, Lee Zeldin supported a $250 million cut to the MTA payroll tax.

March 2012: Helped Create PTSD Program

In March 2012, Lee Zeldin helped to create the PFC Joseph Dwyer PTSD Peer-to-Peer Veterans Support program, with funding included in the 2012-13 New York State Budget.

2012: Re-elected to State Senate

In 2012, Lee Zeldin was reelected in 2012, defeating Democrat Francis Genco with 56% of the vote.

October 6, 2013: Announced Congressional Run

On October 6, 2013, Lee Zeldin announced he would again seek the Republican nomination to run against Tim Bishop for New York's 1st congressional district.

February 2014: Introduced Bill to Halt Common Core

In February 2014, Lee Zeldin introduced a bill that sought to halt implementation of the Common Core curriculum for three years.

March 2014: Voted Against New York Dream Act

In March 2014, Lee Zeldin voted against the New York Dream Act, which would allow undocumented students who meet in-state tuition requirements to obtain financial aid to study at the university level.

February 2015: Joined Patriot Program

In February 2015, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced that Lee Zeldin was one of 12 members in the Patriot Program, a program designed to help protect vulnerable Republican incumbents in the 2016 election.

April 2015: Introduced Fluke Fairness Act

In April 2015, Lee Zeldin and Senator Chuck Schumer introduced the Fluke Fairness Act. The bill would have changed the current system for managing fluke fishing quotas by creating a regional approach to updating quotas and standards based on geographic, scientific, and economic data. It did not pass.

May 2015: Voted for Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

In May 2015, Lee Zeldin voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a bill he co-sponsored, which would prohibit abortions in cases where the fetus's probable age is 20 weeks or more, with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life was in danger. The act would also impose criminal penalties on doctors who violated the ban. It did not pass.

June 2015: Declined to comment on same-sex marriage

In June 2015, after the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, Lee Zeldin would not comment about his view of same-sex marriage, but indicated he believed the issue should have been decided at the state level.

July 15, 2015: Introduced Exclusive Economic Zone Clarification Act

On July 15, 2015, Lee Zeldin introduced the Exclusive Economic Zone Clarification Act. The bill proposed to amend the boundary in part of the federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to give fisheries management of Block Island Sound exclusively to New York and Rhode Island.

July 2015: Attached amendment to Student Success Act

In July 2015, Lee Zeldin attached an amendment to the Student Success Act to allow states to opt out of Common Core without penalty. The amendment was passed and signed into law.

September 2015: Condemned Proposed Federal Plan for Dumping Dredged Materials

In September 2015, Lee Zeldin and Citizens Campaign for the Environment executive director Adrienne Esposito condemned a proposed federal plan for dumping dredged materials in Long Island Sound.

September 18, 2015: Voted for Defund Planned Parenthood Act

On September 18, 2015, Lee Zeldin voted for the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, a bill that would defund the nonprofit organization Planned Parenthood for one year unless the organization agreed not to provide abortion services.

2015: Co-sponsored Lyme Disease Bills

In 2015, Lee Zeldin co-sponsored two bills in Congress to combat Lyme disease: the Tick-Borne Disease Research and Accountability and Transparency Act of 2015 and the 21st Century Cures Act.

February 2016: Sought Visas to Travel to Iran

In February 2016, Lee Zeldin and representatives Mike Pompeo and Frank LoBiondo sought visas to travel to Iran to check the country's compliance with the Iran nuclear deal framework.

April 2016: Introduced Legislation to Prevent Sale of Plum Island

In April 2016, Lee Zeldin introduced legislation to prevent the federal government's sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder.

June 2016: Visa Request Denied by Iran

In June 2016, Iran called Lee Zeldin's visa request a "publicity stunt" and said it would deny the visas.

2016: Spoke in Support of Anti-BDS Legislation

In 2016, Lee Zeldin spoke in support of the anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) legislation that passed the New York State Senate.

2016: Won Congressional Election

In 2016, Lee Zeldin won the general election against Democratic nominee Anna Throne-Holst, becoming a U.S. Representative.

March 2017: Co-sponsored Israel Anti-Boycott Act

In March 2017, Lee Zeldin co-sponsored a bipartisan bill in the House, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, to oppose boycotts of Israel.

May 4, 2017: Voted to Repeal Obamacare

On May 4, 2017, Lee Zeldin voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the American Health Care Act.

April 2018: Expressed Concern About Paris Agreement

In April 2018, Lee Zeldin said he did not support the Paris Agreement, expressing concern about other countries' contributions to adverse impacts on the climate without having adequate responsibility.

May 2018: Supported Relocation of U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

In May 2018, Lee Zeldin supported the Trump administration's decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

2018: Unopposed in Republican Primary

In 2018, Lee Zeldin ran unopposed in the Republican primary. In the November general election his chief opponent was Democratic nominee Perry Gershon, who also had the endorsement of the Working Families Party.

2018: Fundraisers with Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka

In 2018, Lee Zeldin's campaign featured fundraisers with Breitbart News founder Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka. At the Gorka event, reporters from local news outlets were removed.

May 2019: Voted Against the Equality Act

In May 2019, Lee Zeldin voted against the Equality Act.

January 2020: Joined amicus curiae brief to overturn Roe v. Wade

In January 2020, Lee Zeldin joined an amicus curiae brief encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

February 1, 2020: Zeldin calls for expunging Trump's impeachment

On February 1, 2020, days before the conclusion of Trump's first impeachment trial, Lee Zeldin tweeted that Republicans should expunge the impeachment if they won a House majority in the upcoming 2020 House elections.

April 2020: Helped Obtain PPE for Suffolk County

According to an April 2020 announcement by Lee Zeldin, he helped Suffolk County obtain more than 1.2 million pieces of personal protective equipment from the White House during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 2020: Zeldin one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress

As of August 2020, Lee Zeldin was one of two Jewish Republicans serving in Congress.

January 2021: Zeldin responds to audio of Trump pressuring Georgia secretary of state

In January 2021, when asked to respond to the release of an audio recording of a phone call in which Trump pressured Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to overturn the 2020 election and "find" enough votes for him to win, Zeldin said "I wish the reporting on it was a full and honest discussion – as opposed to the one-sided, biased take."

July 1, 2021: Voted Against Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

On July 1, 2021, Lee Zeldin voted against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

November 5, 2021: Voted Against Senate Amendment to Infrastructure Bill

On November 5, 2021, Lee Zeldin voted against the Senate amendment to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

July 2022: Voted in Favor of Respect for Marriage Act

In July 2022, Lee Zeldin was one of 47 Republican representatives who voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.

November 2024: Zeldin nominated for EPA Administrator

In November 2024, CNN reported that Lee Zeldin was Trump's nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

January 29, 2025: Sworn in as EPA Administrator

On January 29, 2025, Lee Zeldin was sworn in as the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

March 2025: Zeldin presents "largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history"

In March 2025, Lee Zeldin presented what he described as the "largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history" wherein he reframed the purpose of the EPA towards deregulation and energy production in lieu of public health and environmental protections. Zeldin announced plans to repeal dozens of major environmental regulations, including protections for wetlands, limits on pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks, and the endangerment finding, the legal basis for regulation of greenhouse gases. Under Zeldin, the agency announced plans to cut agency jobs, eliminate its scientific research arm, and reduce the EPA's budget by 65%.

April 30, 2025: Retired from the Army Reserve

On April 30, 2025, Lee Zeldin retired from the Army Reserve, having achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.

July 2025: Zeldin Announces Repeal of Endangerment Finding

In July 2025, Lee Zeldin announced a repeal of the endangerment finding, which declares greenhouse gases a public health threat. Zeldin described it as "the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States."